The Vote
by HotaruGFC
Summary: Manga Spoilers: A vote must be held. Politics are difficult in any universe. (Part of a NaNo project, so it is pretty much free of major editing) (Also, I know the guidebook presents things differently, let's just call some things... creative license. It is fanfic after all.)
1. Chapter 1

The Vote

They had gathered in silence, the remaining captains. They had listened to the report and Yami's first hand account of what had happened and then they sat in silence. The world was going to hell around them and none of them could find the words to describe what they felt.

Eventually, it was one of the newest voices who spoke up.

"Well, we need to elect a new Wizard King." The crimson lioness suggested. Everyone knew it was true, but no one had wanted to admit it.

"No one can replace, Julius." one of the others said.

"I'm not talking about replacing him."

"But if we elected a new..."

"We need someone to lead us, or we will fall victim to the in-fighting that's already starting." The thorn maiden of the blue rose squad spoke up, silencing those around her. She shifted uncomfortably in her seat as all eyes turned toward her.

"And who do you suggest, Charlotte?" Nozel Silva's voice was cold and firm.

She looked around at the gathered faces. Six of her collegues sat facing her at the table. The eighth stood at the window, smoking his cigarette and looking out at the city below. Her eyes lingered on him. The ninth chair was empty, a testiment to the one who had betrayed them. She took a deep breath.

"I nominate Yami." She said calmly. She gripped the arms of her chair, bracing for the backlash she was certain would follow.

"What?" Nozel demanded. The Green Mantis and Purple Orca captains were also vocal in their disapproval. Silence came from the window, though she could feel his eyes on her. The Crimson Lioness regarded her carefully.

After a few moments of shouting over each other, the dissenters fell silent.

"Are you out of your goddamned mind?" Yami's deep voice resonated in her ear as he leaned over her shoulder.

"I second it." The eldest Vermillion said from her seat across the table.

"You can't be serious, Meleoleona. He's not even a noble! He's not even from this country!" Nozel protested.

"I can't believe I'm saying this, but I agree with Nozel. This is a horrible idea." Yami said, finally taking a seat at the table.

"Why?" Charlotte looked at him with fire in her eyes. Yami rolled his eyes and took a drag on his cigarette.

"Because no one would accept him, Charlotte. That's why."

"We don't exactly have the luxury of caring about where or not the noble families would approve of him right now, Nozel. What we are facing is a fight for our very survival. You remember Nairn. These people aren't going to play nice. They aren't going to give up. And they are incredibly powerful."

"She's right about that." Mereoleona said. "You weren't there when they... changed. It was like they all got super charged on mana somehow."

"We're still trying to figure out exactly what happened. And why so many of Golden Dawn were affected."

"It wasn't just Golden Dawn. There were people in all of the squads afflicted by this... whatever it was."

"Powerful magic is what it was."

"That's beside the point." Charlotte was adamant. "We need to survive this if the country is going to survive. We need to survive and fight back. And," She looked over at Yami. "I can't think of anyone else who has the experience overcoming insurmountable odds to survive. And not only that, but to thrive. Regardless of his many, various, and innumerable faults, and no matter how much it pains me to admit it, Yami's the best person for the job."

The captain of the purple orcas looked over at the brawny captain of the black bulls.

"I third." He said.

"Well I vote no. This is a spectacularly bad idea." Yami said before storming out of the room.

Charlotte winced as the door slammed shut behind him.

"Well, so much for that idea. Now, do we have an actual feasible candidate?" Nozel asked, unable to keep the small smile from dancing on his lips.

"You are too much, cousin." Mereoleona crossed her arms as she leaned back in the chair.

"Yami is the most feasible candidate, Nozel and you know it." Charlotte slammed her fist into the table.

"He doesn't want the job, Charlotte." The silver haired royal stared her down.

"He was trained by Julius."

"Yeah, and so was William."

"He was practically handpicked as Julius' successor."

"We only have his word on that!"

The pair leaned over the table, glaring at each other.

"Face it. Julius was an idealist who always saw the good in everyone, who always held out hope that people would do the right thing."

"And was he wrong, Nozel?"

"What?"

"Was Julius wrong?"

"About what?"

"People. True, he opened the door to the knighthood wider than it had ever been, allowing commoners, foreigners to join, but was he wrong?"

Nozel blinked as he backed away slightly from the irate captain of the blue rose squad.

"What are the three tenants of the Clover Kingdom, huh? What do the leaves of the clover stand for? Faith, Hope, and Love, right? So tell me. Was Julius wrong to live by those tenants? Was he wrong to expect others to do the same?"

Nozel simply stared at her in silence.

"And hasn't Yami proven time and again that he deserves to be standing here. Sure he's lazy and crude and boorish and drinks too much and smokes, ugh, he smokes, but didn't Julius also have his faults? Don't we all?"

Mereoleona smiled as she watched the younger woman's impassioned speech. She looked at the other captains, convinced that Charlotte was winning them over little by little.

"Look, none of us wanted to be here making this decision. I had hoped to be long retired before it needed to be done. Yet, here we are." Charlotte looked from Nozel to the remaining captains.

"Yami not only has magical power to match our own, he is a skilled strategist. Despite his tendency to go bonkers about surpassing his limits, he knows how to use his people effectively."

"We can all do that, Charlotte. We all have experience on the battlefield." Nozel took his seat. "Well," He looked over at Rill, the captain of the azure deer squad. "You not so much."

"It's fine. Honestly, I don't know if I even have the right to be here anymore, not after, well, everything." The young man shrank into his seat.

"I call for a vote. I'm getting tired of all this talking." The Crimson Lioness blurted out.

"But we only have one candidate right now." Nozel countered.

"Fine, a vote to see if Yami stays in the candidate pool."

"But he doesn't even want the job!"

"All in favor of Yami for Wizard King?" Mereoleona asked. "If you're going to be pissy about it, Nozel, I'm just going to push the vote."

The Silver Eagles captain sat heavily back into his chair and crossed his arms. Slowly, the hands of all the remaining knight captains were raised in the air.

"Did we, just,?" Jack from the green mantis squad started asking, only to be cut off by the coral peacock captain, who for once was not snoring.

"We just elected Yami Sukehiro Wizard King." She said, too stunned for a moment to sleep.

"You better go tell him, Rose Princess." Mereoleona grinned at her. Charlotte took a deep breath and walked to the door.

She was surprised to see him standing in the hall a few meters from the doorway. He was staring out the window again. He looked troubled, his brow was furrowed in thought. She wondered what occupied his mind.

"Yami."

"I can still see it as plain as day, you know."

"See what?"

"Julius' death."

"I'm sorry."

He shook his head.

"People die. That's what we do."

She nodded, and stood a short distance away. After a long contemplation, he turned to her.

"Why would you do something like that? I'm just going to get everyone killed. Don't tell me this is payback for all those times I told you that you would never catch a husband."

"What? No. Actually, I forgot about that. It would make great payback, but no."

"Then why?"

Charlotte sighed. There were so many reasons why; they were hard for her to pin down. She had meant everything she had told the other captains, but there was more.

"Because it is what you are meant to do, Yami."

He rolled his eyes.

"Like some sort of destiny or fate? Yeah, right."

"You're the right man for the job right now. I believe that Julius knew that as well."

"Nozel wants the job though. Just let him have it."

"What's the saying? I believe you've mentioned it before... It was something about people wanting power?"

"Those who seek power are often the least able to wield it."

"Yami, I know you love this place, and its people. It's your home, even if you weren't born here. You've made a life here, You've made friends, comrades, family."

He looked to the ground between them as he flicked the ash from his cigarette to the ground.

"Your squad, they trust you."

"A horrible idea, really, but they're all idiots, so..."

"You've taken some of the most disparate individuals, outcasts in their own rights and you've turned them into a family. You push them until they become something more than what they are. You had a vision for each one of them, of their worth, their value. You see people, no matter their station, their abilities. You see beyond that."

"It wasn't me. It was Asta."

"But they wouldn't be together if it wasn't for your foresight."

He sighed.

"Besides, Julius trusted you too. He groomed you for this."

"Yeah? Well, Julius trusted William also. And how did that end? Oh yeah, with a sword to the gut."

She could see unshed tears glistening in his eyes. The loss of his mentor had affected him far more than he let on. She grabbed his upper arm, hoping to break through his grief. Her heart skipped a beat as she gripped his skin. He looked up at her, wide-eyed, shocked at the suddenness of the touch. She swallowed hard.

Now or never, she told herself. She took a deep shaky breath.

"Yami." She took another breath. Why is this so hard, she wondered. "I trust you."

He looked at her for a long moment, and then at her hand on his arm. Her grip had softened and her thumb was stroking his skin, though he didn't think she realized it. She looked up at him full of hope and faith and, and something more.

"Ok." He whispered. "On one condition."

"What's that?"

"I don't think trust is the word you were thinking of just now."

She took a sharp breath and could feel the color flee from her cheeks.

"Admit it, Charlotte."

"I, I..." She chewed her lip.

"Admit it and I'll do whatever you ask."

She looked up at him, wide-eyed, curious. Her furious heartbeat drowned out all other sounds. She took a deep breath and let it out.

"I love you."

He touched her cheek, sliding his fingers across her skin and down her neck. His thumb drew a lazy circle along her cheekbone. He was smiling, for once his mouth free of the ever present cigarette.

"That wasn't so hard, was it?" He whispered before tilting her head toward him and kissing her. The kiss was brief, but she hovered, eyes closed in the moment as long as she could. She wanted more but fear kept her from pursuing him. She could feel his face inches from hers. His breath was warm against her skin. He seemed to be waiting, but she wondered for what.

"Tell me what you want." He whispered finally. She wanted to tell him so many things. She wanted to pull him to her, to have his body pinned against hers. She wanted his lips on hers again. She wanted to submit to him in a way she had never wanted to submit to anyone before.

He still hovered a few inches above her face when she opened her eyes. His thumb still stroked her cheek and his eyes darted between her eyes and her lips. The look in his eyes was like nothing she had seen in him before. She saw fire, desire in the darkness, where there was typically boredom.

"Lead us, Yami. Please."

He sighed, resigning himself to his vow, as he stood. His hand fell away from her face and his eyes shifted back to normal.

"If that's what you want."

"It is. You're the only one, and everyone's decided."

He took a deep breath and nodded before he turned back to the room. She followed him in and retook her seat, feeling suspiciously like he had wanted her to ask for something else.

"Ok, fine. If you all want to ride this crazy train, who am I to stop you." He addressed his fellow captains.

"Congratulations, Wizard King Yami Sukehiro." The red headed, fiery leader of the Crimson Lions grinned.

"Don't think for a second that if Fuegoleon was able that he would have fought this." He looked at her, only to be met with her laughter. "Gods, you are crazy, aren't you woman? And Nozel, I'm surprised you didn't fight this harder."

"I didn't vote for you."

"As expected. But, will you still follow me?"

"If it was truly Julius' wish that you succeed him, who am I to question? I don't have to approve, but," The Silver Eagle hesitated. "I know you will do right by the people of this country. At least as long as you are able."

"That's good enough for me."

"But, the nobility will never accept you, Yami." The Purple Orca captain spoke up. "They will want some... assurance that you won't overlook their interests."

"By that you mean that I won't put the vastly larger numbers of common people in the Forsaken and Common realms ahead of them." He shook his head. "You nobles and your damn prejudices."

"It would be easier if he had some ties to the noble class. Royal would be better." The Azure Deer captain piped up.

"I'm right here." Yami rolled his eyes as the boy continued as if he were not in the room

"I mean, a marriage would be the easiest." The youngest captain suggested.

Nozel laughed out loud.

"I don't think any noble family would willingly offer up one of their own to this brute, even if he is the Wizard King."

"As Rill said, royal would be better, Nozel. Maybe Nebra would be a good match?" The Vermillion witch chuckled as her cousin gave her a death glare.

"Well what about you then, Mereoleona?" Nozel narrowed his eyes at her.

"Nope," Yami interjected. "Not going near that pile of crazy."

"Aww, Yami, don't worry. I don't think you could keep up with me anyway."

Charlotte watched the banter with a growing sense of determination. She wondered what her squad would think of her, but she knew there was no other option. Nozel was right; most noble families would reject such a proposition without a second thought. And any that accepted it were not likely to be influential enough to matter. Yami did have his own merits to rely on, but having a noble, or royal wife would likely ease the process. And as a fellow captain, she had a level of freedom to decide these things most other noblewomen did not.

Besides, the thought of him with another woman-even if it were a political marriage with no emotion in it-made her irrational. It was the drinking contest at the Star Festival all over again.

"I'll do it." She spoke up as if she were volunteering for a suicide mission. The room grew silent as everyone, including that man looked at her. "House Roselei is well respected and highly connected. Plus, my father doesn't have to approve given my position here."

"Charlotte." Yami started. He looked like he wanted to say more when she looked at him, but he couldn't find the words, or he didn't want to share them in current company. All she could think was that he had called her by her name and not one of the many epitaphs he had given her over the years.

"What about your squad? Those women worship you." One of the others asked. She didn't know who because she was lost looking at him.

"They will learn to live with it. This is a political move and the most logical one. It's for the good of the country, for us all."

"You don't have to do this." He said at last, his voice soft, gentle, as it had been outside when he had asked her what she wanted.

"But I do." She looked up at him with a small smile on her lips.

"Well, are you happy, Nozel? Is this enough?" Mereoleona leaned forward on the table, her eyes locking with her cousin's.

"For now."

Yami walked through the halls that would soon be his home. He felt as uncomfortable as ever as he wandered. He knew the announcement would be made soon, and he should have been working out a plan with the other captains.

But he needed a moment.

He found himself at the hospital ward where Fuegoleon and Finral were still undergoing treatment. He looked at the pair of sleeping men, both trying to fight back from the brink of death, one a comrade, the other the closest thing he had to a confidant.

"What a sincerely fucked up world we're in."

He sat next to Finral's bed, looking over his wounds which were healing well according to the healers. They had been working to patch him up since the exam. Physically, they said he was doing well, but they had no explanation for why he was still asleep.

"Well, buddy. I can't believe you're not here for this, but a lot of shit's been going down. Julius is dead, Vangence turned traitor, and I'm getting married, though I can't believe they are going to force the issue while we're in the middle of a war."

He rubbed his palms against his pants feeling the texture change from course cotton to smooth leather. He thought he should really invest in some new pants given, well, everything.

Finral opened his eyes.

"Wait, what?"

"Have you been faking this whole time, asshole?"

"No, but wait." He pushed himself to a sitting position. "Ow, ow, ow, ow. Damn that hurts. What's this about you getting married?"

Yami looked at his second and shook his head.

"If I had known that a shock to your system was all you needed to wake up, I would have gotten fake engaged days ago."

"But this is like real engaged? Like really real."

"Apparently."

"Wow. Who's the sucker?"

"Do you want to die?"

"No, no. But, Yami, you have to admit that you aren't quite the marrying type."

"I guess that makes me the sucker then." He took his cigarette from between his lips and frowned at the unlit end. The healers had forbidden him from smoking while he was in the room.

"Well, then, who's the lucky girl."

"Charlotte Roselei."

Finral opened his mouth, closed it again, looked around the room, opened his mouth again, waved his hands in the air and finally just stared at his boss in confusion.

"Speechless for once in your life. Huh." He put the unlit cigarette back between his lips. "Oh, and they voted me Wizard King. Ain't that a kick in the head."

Finral lay back on the bed and looked up at the ceiling. He closed his eyes.

"I'm dreaming. That's it. Because that would never happen. Yami would never consent to be Wizard King and the Blue Rose captain would never agree to marry him."

"I wish that were true." Yami leaned back in the chair in which he was sitting, crossing his arms over his chest. Finral turned his head toward his boss and opened one eye.

"I'm not dreaming, am I?"

Yami shook his head.

"But you don't even want the job!"

"That's what I said, but apparently, the Queen of Thorns convinced them all I would be the best person for it. Well, everyone except Braidface. Finral snorted at the description of the Silver Eagles captain.

"What the fuck, Yami? I mean seriously, what the actual fuck? And how does all of this tie into you getting married?"

"The little cotton ball suggested it as a way to help ease the minds of the noble class. Like I fucking care about that."

"And how did Lady Charlotte get roped into this?"

"She volunteered."

Finral looked at him, speechless once more.

"Well, I'm glad you're feeling better. Up for a trip?"

A healer who had been observing from a distance started to interject. Yami silenced her with a wave of his hand.

"I can't believe Silva didn't fight you for it."

"Oh, he tried."

"Don't tell me you got in a fight with him."

"No, it was a vote, remember? All civil like. He was just out voted."

"Well, shit."

Yami smirked as the spacial mage looked at him in wonder.

"Come on. We gotta go tell the others."

"Yeah, yeah." Finral got to his feet, moving slowly delibrately.

"Hurry up."

"I haven't stood in days, much less walked or used my magic."

"Weeks." Yami fiddled with the unlit cigarette. Finral took a few steps and proceeded to get dressed.

"What?"

"It's been weeks."

"Now you're just messing with me." The younger man frowned at his captain as he once more donned the squad robe.

Yami laughed.

"Everything that's happened and you think that's the joke?" Yami stood. "Come on."

Within minutes, the pair was back at the Black Bull's base. Except the base wasn't quite where it should have been. And it was moving.

"What the hell?" Finral exclaimed as he lost his footing.

"Henry, what are you doing?" Yami muttered as he lit his cigarette before climbing his way through the mobile structure.

"Who's Henry?" Finral called after him as he tried to stand only to be knocked over once more by the motion of the room around him. "Whoa!"

He wove his way through the collection of rooms until he found what he guessed was the head of the beast, and where his wayward team had gathered.

"Alright you idiots, what's going on?"

"Captain!" The cries came up simultaneously as the building screeched to a halt. All of their voiced assaulted him at once with an explanation. He just inhaled deeply on his cigarette and blew smoke at all of them.

"One at a time."

"Everyone started going crazy." Magna said.

"Whatever happened got Gauch." Grey stammered.

"It got me too!" Luck added.

"I got a new sword, Captain. Look!" Asta shoved the new blade into his face. Yami looked at it before pushing it away.

"We ate and ate and ate."

"And the bad people started threatening the town, so I, I moved the base." Henry's slow speech finished out the flurry of voices.

"Where's Gauch now?"

"He went all weird and took off. We're not sure where he went."

"And the bad people?"

"Reincarnation magic. Elf souls possess them and they suddenly want to destroy all humans." Vanessa explained as best she could.

"Hmm. How did Luck get free then?"

"My new sword." Asta beamed. Yami looked at the blade again.

"Right."

Finral gasped as he entered the room.

"You know, I'm still healing, right? Couldn't you have been a little easier to find?"

"Finral!" The rest of the group chorused as they nearly knocked him down once more.

Yami looked at his misfits, his family, wondering which of the idiots he was going to leave in charge of them all. Damn if he wasn't going to miss all of them.

"Right, I can't stay. They need me back in the capital. You guys are going to keep doing what you do best. Protect the people. Asta take those sorry asses down. I don't care if they are your best friend or worst enemy. Right now, we are fighting for survival. Make sure we survive."

"Where have you been, Boss?" Magna asked.

"In the capital. Let's just say shit's bad all over."

"You need to tell them, Yami." Finral said, his voice suddenly serious.

Yami took a deep breath, flicked the ash from his cigarette to the floor.

"The Wizard King is dead." His voice was emotionless, flat as it had been when he told the other captains, but his heart ached with grief. "He was killed in battle with... William, or Licht, or whoever it was possessing him."

The movement of the building stopped as the news struck everyone

"The captain of the Golden Dawn killed the Wizard King?" Magna asked in disbelief. Asta stood there stunned, broken. The others looked at him in various states of shock.

"I saw it happen. I tried to go after him, but he escaped."

Silence fell over the room with only the creaking of wood and stone as the building settled to cut through the thickness of it.

"How? How could he die?" Asta was the first to speak, his voice echoing loudly through the room as tears streamed down his face.

"He had used up his mana to protect the people. He had no way to counter attack when William... Licht... whoever drove a sword of light through him."

"So..." Vanessa started to ask. "Who's in charge now?"

Finral broke into a grin and then into laughter.

"It's not funny." Yami shot him one of his infamous death glares. Finral stopped laughing out loud immediately, but could not stop the shaking of his shoulders from the bottled up energy.

Yami blew smoke out at the gathered group.

"Apparently, I am."

"What?" The cry went up simultaneously from all those gathered and Finral could no longer control himself as he erupted in laughter once more.

"Oh, it gets better." The spatial mage held his gut and doubled over as the laughter shook his entire body. He wiped his eyes as tears streamed down his face.

"I am going to kill you." Yami blew a cloud of smoke in his face, making the laughter turn to a choking cough.

"He, he," Finral struggled with a fit of coughs before collapsing into a sitting position on the ground. He took a couple of steadying breaths. "He's going to get married too!" Another laughing fit washed over him. "To, to Charlotte Roselei." He rolled onto his back and laughed up at the ceiling.

Yami gave him a swift kick in the side as the rest of the gathered bulls looked at him.

"Is, Is this true, Boss?" Magna blinked up at him.

Yami took a deep breath, inhaling through his cigarette.

"Yep."

Silence fell over the gathered members of the squad. Each processed the information in their own way. The group moved nearly as one to congratulate him, but Yami stopped them all with a look.

"Listen. It's not like this is something I ever sought, but it's where we are. These-elves did you say?" The group nodded as one. "These elves are looking to exterminate us. This is no longer a fight for ideals. It's a fight for survival. We may all need to sacrifice things, but we must survive. Humanity must survive. You idiots are probably the best line of defense we have against them. I want you to stop them. Save as many as you can, but the people are your priority. If the choice comes down to saving a town or saving one of our own, I expect you to make the right choice. Now I have to go. I expect you to do what needs to be done." He turned to leave.

Magna sniffed.

"Spoken like a true man."

"Spoken like the Wizard King." Vanessa said. Yami stopped for a moment, feeling like he needed to say more, to do more for them, but he knew it was time to let them fly on their own. He knew they would do what needed to be done.

"Come on, Finral."

"Wait, I'm coming too?"

"Just open a portal, dammit. You're staying here. Someone needs to keep an eye on them."

"But." He started to protest but the look in Yami's eyes silenced him. "Yes, sir."

Finral opened a portal and Yami stepped toward it before turning to look at his comrades, his family once more. Julius had been right. The kids were going to be amazing. He looked directly at Asta.

"I'll be keeping the seat warm, kid."

Asta stood and saluted. The others followed suit. Yami smiled as he stepped through the portal toward his future.


	2. Chapter 2

"Do you think you can talk to him?" Marx looked up at Charlotte with a pained and worried expression. "He's been... edgy since the announcement."

"Yami's always edgy, Marx; it's his nature." Charlotte continued walking down the hall of Magic Knight headquarters toward the room which had been set up as a sort of relief command center. While the crisis had been largely brought to an end and the reincarnated elves released-mostly due to Asta's newfound powers, the entire kingdom was in need of repair and respite. And still pockets of unrest would rise up occasionally, which would require a response from the knights. The captains had all taken shifts coordinating the defenses, but Yami had taken on the lion's share of the work.

"Not like this." Marx commented as they passed through the archway into the room which had once been solely the home of music and dancing. The ballroom lacked the luster it once had on those glittering nights as it shone instead with the dim lights of communication devices reaching out to all parts of the kingdom. Nozel was coordinating the relief efforts when she walked into the room. "Don't get me wrong. I appreciate how he has thrown himself into the job, especially now given everything which has happened."

Charlotte knew what he meant by everything. He meant losing Julius. The wound caused by his loss was still gaping and fresh in all of them. But none felt it as keenly as Yami Sukehiro. In the few weeks since he had been made Wizard King-Interim Wizard King as he was fond of saying, given his disbelief at the entire turn of events-and since she had agreed to marry him, Charlotte had seen how Julius' death haunted him. He was different, she thought, recalling how she had failed to goad him on several occasions to toss one of his trademark quips at her expense. Even Nozel's ridiculous hair style had been unable to spark his normal sarcastic nature.

Marx had continued to ramble as she scanned the room. She saw him on the balcony, his back to the organized chaos. He still wore his squad colors over his shoulder, despite having been awarded the robes of the office. She frowned.

"How long has he been out there?" She glanced at Nozel. She had come to relieve him, but seeing him now knew she would have a different mission.

"Since I got here. Maybe longer." Nozel's annoyance could be read by the blind, Charlotte thought. He had never agreed with the vote which had set Yami as their leader. He had sought the position himself, she knew. Both he and Fuegoleon had mentioned in the past their dreams of uniting the roles of king and wizard king. Had things gone differently, Charlotte was sure one of them would be standing in Yami's shoes now.

She sighed and nodded her head. She had put him there; she had forced the idea. Though she still stood by her decision and her arguments supporting him, she felt a twinge of guilt at seeing him now.

"I'll go talk to him. Nozel, I'm sorry."

"No, no. It's fine." His voice said otherwise. "Go see to your moody fiancee. I'll call in Jack to see if he can take over."

Charlotte dodged the workers as they rushed to and fro, posting new information, changing out the old. She barely saw them as she moved through their midst. She only saw him. He was bent over slightly as he leaned heavily on the railing which surrounded the edge of the balcony. A curl of smoke rose over his shoulder and his head was bent low. She hadn't seen him much out of their official capacities, despite their new agreement. She had hoped they would have found time to spend together, but they had both been too busy.

Still she could not get his gentle kiss in the hallway out of her head. She wanted to kiss him again; she wanted to see where it might lead her.

His eyes were closed and his chin was tucked into his chest. The cigarette in his right hand still burned. Charlotte wondered if he had fallen asleep, but as she approached, he straightened and turned to her. She had never, in as long as she had known him, been able to sneak up on him.

"What?" His voice was bitter and tired. Dark circles hung beneath his red-rimmed eyes. His cheeks seemed more sunken than normal and his skin was ashen.

"When's the last time you slept?" She had meant to ask if he was alright, or to say some other introductory phrase. But seeing him had her worried. Despite his exhaustion, or perhaps because of it, anger flashed in his eyes.

"I'm not tired." He turned back toward the view grumbling.

"You are a liar." She crossed her arms over her chest. She had intended to soothe him somehow, but could feel them both gearing up for a fight. He turned back at her, glaring, trying to intimidate her as he intimidated so many other. She wasn't about to let it work. She met his gaze with her own cold stare. She wondered if he would escalate as she watched his body tense, but he suddenly capitulated. His shoulders sagged and he hung his head. Charlotte knew she had won this battle of wills, but she also knew it was a hollow victory. He looked as if he were ready to collapse. She wondered if this was what their future together was going to be like; if this was how it would be forever, or if they would eventually find happiness in each other.

She slipped his arm over her shoulders and supported as much of his weight as she could.

"Come on, let's get you to bed." She led him along the balcony from the ballroom turned communications center to the Wizard King's office-his office. The set of rooms attached had been especially prepared for him, but she could feel him stiffen as she tried to lead him to them.

"Those are Julius' rooms." He froze. His voice held a pain she had only felt once before when her favorite grandmother had died several years ago. The old woman had been a mentor and friend to her like no one else in her family. Julius had been his only family for so long, she could not imagine the depth of his pain.

"They are your rooms now, Yami." She explained softly. He shook his head and remained rooted to the floor. She sighed and reminded herself to be patient with him, as she had to be patient with herself when she was in similar depths of grief. "Is this why you haven't been sleeping?"

He nodded. His weight pressed down against her as she tried to shift herself beneath him. She slid one arm around his waist, hoping it would help. It didn't.

"Where do you want to go then?"

He shrugged, which pressed her further toward the ground.

"You're really heavy, you know."

"Sorry." Sleep softened his voice.

She could have brought him to any of the rooms down the nearby hallway. Most of them have been outfitted as bedrooms or barracks for the guards and soldiers now stationed in the capital, but a few had been set aside as private chambers for the captains while the kingdom's forces had pulled back to the capital. She could have put him anywhere. Any of the soldiers would understand if the wizard king had taken their bed for a nap and would have been all too keen to swap places. She should have just shoved him in the barracks with the rest of the grunts.

But she didn't.

She nudged the door open with her foot and hobbled with him over to the bed she had taken as her own. The room was not as grand as her rooms at her squad headquarters, but it was sufficient. And the bed was comfortable enough. She helped him sit on the edge of the bed and pulled off his boots. He lay down curled up on his side, frowned and then tried to turn over to the other side, but she could see he was having trouble relaxing. He sat up once more, stood and then took off his belt, sword and grimoire with it before collapsing into the bed once more.

She looked at him for a long moment before moving his gear across the room and placing it neatly on the small vanity table against the wall. She walked over to the bed once more an knelt next to it. His face had gone slack and his breathing had slowed.

"What is it you always tell me? There's nothing wrong with relying on others?" She brushed her fingers through his soft black hair. "Maybe you should take your own advice, Yami."

"I'll take that under advisement." His eyes were still closed as he spoke, but his hand had caught hers. "Stay with me."

"Of course." She tried to pull away and bring the chair closer, but his grip on her hand was firm and his eyes, though exhausted, were insistent. He scooted over in the bed, making room for her to lay with him. She stood watching, her heart racing. Part of her screamed in joy and the other in panic.

"Please?" Something in the uncertain furrow in his brow, the slight tremble of his lips and the glimmer of tears in his eyes broke through her resolve.

"Alright." She whispered as she pulled her hand away and took off her helmet. She placed it gently on the table beside the bed before unfastening her breastplate and the belt which held her own grimoire. She lay stiffly next to him, nervousness eating away at her. She forced herself to take a deep breath, to relax and remember she had agreed to marry this man.

His arms slid around her waist and he buried his head against her shoulder. She wrapped him in her arms as she felt his body tremble with wracking sobs. She stroked his hair, shushing him, rocking him as best she could as he wept.

Slowly, eventually, his body stilled and his tears ceased. His breathing slowed and she could feel him relax next to her. When he started snoring softly, she knew he had fallen into the sleep he desperately needed. She tried to slip her arm from beneath his head and disentangle herself from his grasp, but as she moved, he only gripped her more tightly. She sighed as guilt washed over her for leaving Nozel to fend for himself through a second shift. But as she tried to break free, she found his grasp immovable, like stone encircling her waist.

"Don't go." She thought she heard him whisper. She sighed as she settled into the bed next to him. She rolled onto her side and tucked her pillow beneath her head. His hold on her tightened, pulling her back against his broad chest, and she felt her heart race once more. She shifted the pillow, wondering how many times she had imagined herself with him like this, how many nights she had fallen asleep imagining him at her back. She blushed through the fear she felt now as his actual breath disturbed the fine hairs at the back on her neck, and his actual arms squeezed her.

He muttered something in his sleep, something she couldn't make out. She lay still, wrapped in his embrace, too terrified and too ashamed to move. She chastised herself for her riot of emotions now she was experiencing her fantasy. She reminded herself she would likely have many more experiences like this, and knowing Yami, they would likely not be so innocent. She reminded herself of what she had offered to him, and of the role she would be expected to play-the role both excited and terrified her.

Eventually the sound of his slow breath in her ear lulled her to sleep as well.

The sun hung low in the sky by the time he stirred. His arm had gone numb, but otherwise, he felt better than he had in weeks. He was more awake, more alert than he had been since...

He took a deep breath and the scene played out once more before him. The intense light building above the city, the weird ripple of time as the attack was stopped before it had even started, the flash of light, and Julius' face as he looked into the eyes of the man who had once served him.

And he saw it all.

And he was too late to stop it.

Yami could feel the panic rising within him once more when she shifted in his arms. The mumble of something he couldn't understand, the feel of her body against his, the pins and needles shooting up his arm as she rolled her head toward him all served to anchor him.

Yes, he reminded himself, Julius was dead, and he couldn't change that. He could only move forward. He bent his head toward hers and the scent of her overpowered him, securing the memories as just what they were, memories-horrible, painful memories, but nothing he could affect now.

The feel of her against him, though, was real, even if he could hardly believe it. He had only ever imagined what holding her might feel like. He smiled despite himself for how close he had come to being right. But even his imagination had not been able to duplicate the real thing.

He brushed her cheek with his fingertips. He had wanted her for so long, but had convinced himself he would never have her. He knew, of course, how she felt-Julius had dropped that little bomb on him a few years back. And after he had learned, he had read her feelings as easily as a newspaper. But still he had hesitated. Deep down he felt she deserved better than someone like him, regardless of what they both felt. He sighed as guilt washed over him. He had forced the issue the day of the vote. He knew he had. But she had said it out loud, as confidently as she said her name or how she hated men. She admitted her feelings because he had asked her, and because she trusted him.

"Idiots, all of you." He whispered as he brushed her hair back from her face. It was still coiled into the bun she usually wore, but strands were coming loose and had gotten stuck to her face. He watched her eyes twitch beneath her lids and her lips part as she gasped in her dreams. He had kissed those lips once, but had been given the promise of more kisses from them when she agreed to help him secure his position. He wanted to kiss them now, but felt unworthy of them. He had forced her admission, but he had not been able to bring himself to give his own.

He closed his eyes and breathed deeply, taking in her scent. He lay his head next to hers, so close he could feel her cheek brush against the tip of his nose.

"I love you, Charlotte." He whispered, feeling both a sense of relief and guilt as the words passed his lips. One day, he told himself, he would tell her for real, with everyone watching.


	3. Chapter 3

The balcony had become his refuge as the weeks of recover turned into months. He sucked on his cigarette, looking out over the city below, a city which by all rights had changed dramatically since the catastrophe. He had heard the reports, had even seen with his own eyes, how people had banded together over the last few weeks, with little regard for silly notions like rank, or class, or even magical power. Royals, nobles, commoners and peasants were working together to heal the gashes torn open when so many had turned. Julius would have loved it.

He inhaled deeply once more and when he exhaled, he blew smoke out over the railing of the balcony. He could see the change which the disaster had brought, but he felt uneasy still. He knew this level of acceptance would not last. Eventually, people would fall back into their old ways. Classes would separate once more-those with plenty would oppress those with little. He frowned at the thought, but knew it was how the world worked. The other captains-nobles or royals all of them, lauded the efforts of the people to be more inclusive. Nozel even offered to take in some of the lower class knights who were now homeless since the Golden Dawn had disbanded, the kid's friend among them. Everyone was making an effort, but it all felt hollow to him.

He wondered if he could run away. He wondered what they would do if he did. He tossed the expended cigarette over the railing and watched it fall.

"Why don't you come with me?" Her words echoed through his mind. He sighed. Karna had asked him nearly a year ago to run away with her. He hadn't been able to explain to her then why he couldn't. But now, despite not sharing her feelings, he wondered if he should have taken her up on the offer. He retrieved a new cigarette and lit its end. She had fallen into his life when he was fourteen, and again at twenty-eight. She was eighteen when they first met and had not aged a day in the interim. Time magic at its finest, he thought. At fourteen, when they first met, she had asked him something similar, despite the four year age difference, despite he was still a child in the eyes of society. Everything about her interest in him felt wrong. He could not explain it then. She was very beautiful, and he would have pursued her, or so he thought for a long time, had things been different. When she had asked him though, he brushed her feelings off, telling her he wasn't into older women. She backed off, disappointed, but understanding. Afterwards, they had become good friends. Until she changed.

When she had shown up in his life again, he hadn't recognized her, not immediately despite her appearance. When he realized who she was, it did not take long to put the pieces of his memory back together. He told himself then, he would talk to Julius about it, certain his mentor had played some role in hiding the truth from his younger self, but he had never had the opportunity, or rather had never taken the time to make the opportunity. He wondered what else Julius had taken to the grave with him.

Looking out over the city again, he wondered what Karna was doing. When she had asked him again, before the left for good to travel through the world of this time, he still felt the same sense of wrongness at the thought of being with her. Despite everything they had been through, despite the switch in their ages. He simply could not see her in his life. He had told her this time he was not attracted to younger women. She seemed mad with the response. Well, perhaps mad was an overstatement, he thought. He couldn't quite explain why he got the sense from her that they could never be together, not in the way she wanted.

She asked him if there was another before she disappeared into the distance. He hadn't been able to answer then. He hadn't known for certain, and he hadn't admitted to himself. But thinking back on it now, he knew what the answer was.

He wondered why he had been thinking of her now.

"Sir?" Marx called from the window. The major domo seemed surprise every time he found his charge on the balcony. Yami knew Julius had given him a hard time over the years with his escape artist act.

"Yeah, Marx." He called through the open window, but made no move to return to the office. The shorter man hoisted his robes and stepped over the threshold out onto the terrace.

"You should get ready, Sir. Everything will be starting soon."

Yami flinched. He knew what Marx meant when he said everything. And with sudden realization, he knew why he had been thinking of Karna, or rather the kind of freedom she now represented, a freedom he had given up to do his duty, to give back what he could to the man who had given him everything, and to follow his heart. Still, sometimes running away does sound appealing, he thought, smiling.

The attack and the rebuilding had put so many things on hold. He looked out again over the city, noticing now the details of the streets below him. The people-ant-like from the height of the tower balcony-were dressed in somber colors, the colors of death and mourning. Keening and cries echoed up from the streets as women wailed their grief.

Yami took another deep drag on his cigarette, his body numb to the burning of his lungs as the fiery smoke filled them. He felt numb to everything.

"Right." He flicked the butt of the cigarette off the balcony once more and turned to the window which led into the wizard king's office, Julius' office. Well, it was his office now, he supposed. He jumped smoothly down from the window sill and over to the small table along the wall. Marx had prepared formal wear for the occasion, appropriately somber to match the mood of the day. The touched the dark robe folded neatly on the table, a broad mantle of black trimmed in gold, the crest of his squad emblazoned on the front. He closed his eyes and took a long steadying breath before looking at it once more. The robe was in pristine condition, so unlike the one he wore on a daily basis. He glanced at it as he donned the rest of his clothes-kimono and hakama from his homeland and grimoire on a belt over it. Once he was dressed, Marx handed him the robe, which he slipped over his head. The weight of the robe was oppressive as it hung around his shoulders and down his back. He had eschewed the longer style robe so popular with the other knight captains many years ago as it interfered with his fighting style. But today it seemed appropriate.

His eyes filled with tears as he remembered Julius' smile as his friend and mentor fastened the first Black Bulls robe around his shoulders.

Now Yami would wear it one last time as they laid him to rest.

"Are you alright?" Marx asked as he smoothed and fluffed the robe to remove any wrinkles.

"Yeah." Yami did not sound convincing, even to himself as he wiped the moisture from his eyes. "Yeah, I'm fine." He took another deep breath and strode toward the doorway and out to the hall.

When he reached the great hall, his eyes were dry as he greeted his fellow captains. They were all in various states of mourning, and all were dressed in formal blacks, aside from the colorful robes marking their rank and squad. It had been several years since they had been gathered to serve this role, as it was the duty of the magic knight captains to accompany the body of the Wizard King. The year after Yami had been promoted, the man Julius had served had died, and he served as a pall bearer then though he barely knew the man. To do so was his duty as a captain.

Today, six of them-Julius' friends and colleagues, would carry his body to his resting place.

Fuegoleon had joined them, having finally recovered from his injuries to join the fray. He stood with the captains as Yami approached, standing in silence. His flaming arm flickered and glowed in subdued embers as the salamander spirit hovered near his shoulder, shrunken out of respect for the dead. He nodded as Yami joined them.

"I'm sorry, Yami." He said. "Had I known my sister would force a vote so quickly, I would have gotten myself together sooner."

"It's not too late. I can step down." Yami felt a glimmer of hope as the newly recovered Crimson Lion smiled faintly.

"Given everything, I don't know if I want it anymore. Especially after my wife made me promise to take things easy." He placed his regular hand onto Yami's shoulder. "You'll be a great Wizard King. I know it's not what you want, but you have my support, as well as the support of my squad."

"I would think the wife wouldn't be too keen on your keeping your command, given all that happened."

Fuegoleon's smile broadened.

"She's not, but even she can see that Leopold is not ready for command and that Mereoleona has been, shall we say, excessive in her techniques."

Yami couldn't help but smile at the assessment.

"Speaking of your crazy ass sister, where'd she run off to?"

"Who knows? She comes and goes as she pleases, leaving a path of destruction behind her. I heard Nozel suggested her as your own bride." Fuegoleon glanced over at his cousin.

"Yeah. That was a big nope from me."

"Luck for you, Charlotte intervened."

When Fuegoleon said her name, Yami felt a rush of stillness spread through him. He took a deep breath and glanced over to where she and Ril were talking. She was explaining the role of the captains in the ceremony and the funeral procession. Ril would walk with Dorothy behind the pall bearers, as both were too weak, physically, to do the job. Her blue cloak stood in striking contrast against her black mourning gown. He was surprised she had chosen to wear a gown, given her role, but he was not disappointed, nor was he surprised to see the practical boots peeking out from beneath its skirts.

"Yeah; Lucky me."

Marx called for the captain's attention and everyone lined up to begin the procession. The last time Yami had served the role, Julius had been running the show as was customary when a retired Wizard King died. Generations had passed since the last time a Wizard King had died in combat, and though Yami had been elected by his peers, he had not been formally appointed to the role. He was grateful Marx had offered to officiate, because he was certain he wouldn't be able to make it through. As they lined up, Yami found himself in the front of the line, next to Fuegoleon. He could hear Nozel grumble to Jack, who stood next to him.

"That's not your place, Nozel and you know it." Charlotte hissed from behind Fuegoleon. Kaiser shifted his feet from behind Yami uncomfortable with the exchange. Nozel sighed dramatically and rolled his eyes. Yami glanced back at Charlotte, meeting her pale determined eyes. He didn't need her to fight his battles, but today he was grateful to have her by his side.

Music began playing from within the large atrium where Julius' body had lain in state for the last several days, preserved in magic since he had fallen, where the people had been able to pay their respects. The eight remaining captains filed silently into the room where Marx, the Bishop of the Church, and the King himself spoke to the bravery, honor, and nobility of the fallen Wizard King. As Yami listened, he was convinced only Marx actually knew Julius, the real Julius. True, Julius was all of the things the Bishop and the King said, but he was also so much more. Only Marx talked about his idealism and his determination to see a better world built on the ashes of the past.

I will do it, Yami thought as he listened to Marx talk about the world Julius wanted to build. I will make the world you wanted so much you would sacrifice your own life for. He closed his eyes as he listened, fighting back the memories of his youth under Julius' watchful eye.

Faster than Yami had felt possible, the speeches and ceremonies were over, and he and the other captains hoisted the casket from the pedestal upon which it had sat and paraded it through the massive atrium, through the open doors, down the steps and into the waiting carriage below. The carriage was conjured through magic and was one of the most beautiful magical vehicles Yami had ever seen. He thought Julius would have loved it. He and the captains fell in line on either side of the carriage as it wove its way through the city streets. The sounds of crying as they passed the assembled crowd lining the side of the streets was deafening. The keening he had heard from the tower top reverberated through his skull with every step. Noble, Royal, Commoner, and Peasant lined the streets in the union they had shared since the day catastrophe had struck them all indiscriminately.

Something else Julius would have loved, he thought as he looked out at the crowd.

The trip was long and arduous, but shortly after midday, the procession had reached the place of interment. The captains retrieved Julius' body and carried it to the crypt he would share with the other Wizard Kings from now until eternity.


	4. Chapter 4

The captains had retired to the courtyard at the magic knight's headquarters after the long funeral procession, and the equally long trek back. The crowd of mourners had all dispersed, going on with their own lives, mourning all of those lost in their own ways as the sun began to drift low in the sky. Charlotte looked around the gathered group of her colleagues. Fuegoleon and Nozel were arguing about something. Jack was egging on Ril with Kaiser shaking his head behind them, and Dorothy slept standing up, holding a glass of wine she had procured from somewhere.

Yami was nowhere to be found. She walked over to the two royals.

"Did you see where Yami went?"

"No." Fuegoleon said with a sad smile. While he hadn't been present for the initial vote, or the subsequent decision for her to help secure Yami's position through marriage.

"I don't make a habit of keeping tabs on commoners." Nozel added with a condescending roll of his eyes. Charlotte matched the expression out of annoyance, before she wandered to the other group and posed the same question. None of them had an answer, though Kaiser said he was certain he had seen Yami return to the base with them.

Charlotte looked at Dorothy, still asleep on her feet, sighed and walked away, wandering through the courtyard. Hidden away on the other side of a far tree, she found him sitting on a bench with his head buried in his hands. His fingers were interlaced over his brow and his palms pressed into his eyes. He looked like he was asleep, but he lifted his head as she approached.

"What?" His voice was harsh as he rubbed his hands over his face.

"Am I… Am I bothering you?" She asked uncertainly. He had a knack for knowing who was approaching him-he called it ki or something, so his sensing her approach did not startle her. What had given her pause was his tone. True, he had a short temper. They had all seen him snap at some point, but he had never directed his anger at her. Even before everything, before she had told him how she felt. He had never been angry with her. She wondered now if she had finally made him snap. But as she spoke, his shoulders relaxed and he wiped his hands against his face once more before turning to her.

"No." He shook his head. The skin around his eyes was red and blotchy. She felt a pang of guilt for interrupting his grief. Her heart ached to see him so distraught.

"Mind if I join you?" She asked from a few feet away, daring not to approach until she knew she was welcome. He scooted over a bit and patted the bench beside him. She figured it would be the closest thing to an invitation she would receive. She closed the distance and sat next to him in silence. She looked out over the pond in the distance, noticing the ducks landing there after a long flight. She shifted nervously next to him. She could not help herself. She always felt slightly nervous around him; either that or she was angry. She had no in between when it came to him. She chided herself for her nervousness, reminding herself how silly it was to give into the giddy sense of embarrassment she felt around him when she had agreed to marry him. She picked at the design on her skirt before she gripped the edge of the bench in an effort to still the jittery twitches of her fingers. She sighed and glanced quickly at him before she turned her attention back to the birds.

He had not yet looked at her, not since she had sat. Though she had never really understood the idea of ki he had mentioned before, she could almost sense his presence next to her-not just his mana, but something even more essential, more distilled, more him. Something about her sense of him made her glance back to him once more. She could make out his jaw and watched it unclench out the corner of her eye before she looked back at the now still water.

"Sorry." His voice was deep and resonant, striking her ears in a way which reverberated deep within her. Her heart beat faster in response.

"For what?" She sounded breathless to her ears.

"For you seeing me like this. For being so weak."

She turned her head to him to see his eyes squeezed shut and silent tears coursing down his cheek. He was raw and torn asunder from everything, she thought, and yet he was apologizing to her?

She slid her hand a bit closer to his, brushing his smallest finger with hers. He sighed at the touch, his breath shuttering as it escaped his lips.

"You're not weak, Yami. You lost someone dear to you. You have every right to grieve however you need to."

His hand brushed hers, his fingers slid over the top of her fingers.

"When's the last time you slept?" She asked, turning her hand over beneath his and allowing his fingers to fall between hers. She squeezed his hand.

"I dunno. I think I passed out a couple of days ago." He wiped the tears from his cheeks with his other hand.

"Passed out from exhaustion isn't the same as sleeping."

He shrugged.

"I might have to pass out drunk tonight."

"And go to the formal vote and appointment with a hangover? That would be one hell of a way to officially accept the job, Yami."

"I still think you are all insane." He reached around his waist with his free hand and pulled out a cigarette and his lighter. He took a deep inhale of the fresh cigarette, blowing a cloud of smoke away from Charlotte. "Are you sure you want to go through with it?"

"With what?"

"All of it." He said around the end of the cigarette tucked between his lips as he tucked the lighter away. Charlotte gazed out at the pond and the ducks floating serenely on the glassy surface. She took a deep breath, asking herself if she was indeed sure about everything.

"I mean, Fuegoleon is much better suited for leadership than I am." He pointed out.

She thought for a moment. She could easily imagine Fuegoleon as Wizard King. He had the temperment for the job, though she knew Yami did as well, even if it was buried beneath layers of sarcasm built up over years. But Fuegoleon was missing one key advantage for their current situation, which Yami had in spades.

Yami was a survivor.

Not in the way where he has survived a few fights, though he was indeed that as well. Rather, he had a survivor's instincts, and has triumphed over adversity in order to mearly exist. None of the other captains had even a modicum of the experience in the matter as Yami did.

"But Fuegoleon doesn't have what we need to get through this. He, like the rest of us, haven't had to struggle like you have."

He forced air over his teeth, making a frustrated sound before taking the cigarette from between his lips and once more blowing the smoke away from her.

"But what about the rest of it, Charlotte." His fingers tightened on her hand, and she could feel a slight trembling in them. She looked at him again, taking in his profile, and the way the cigarette made his lip curl.

"You mean our pending marriage?" Her heart raced at the thought. He drummed the fingers of his free hand against his knee before taking the cigarette from his lips and exhaling once more, always away from her face.

"Yeah. I, uh, I've been thinking, and, Charlotte, what do you think this… thing will be? Are you doing this out of necessity or convenience? Or…?" He let the thought dangle. She took a deep breath and thought back to all of the times she had asked herself the same question since she had proposed the engagement as a solution to those questioning his loyalty. Everyone knew the marriage solution was born out of necessity, and yet, she found herself wanting more than what was necessary.

"Or what?" She pushed. He had pushed her admission about her the day the preliminary vote had been cast and he had been nominate as the sole candidate for the position. She was not about to let him off easy. She had taken months to admit to herself the truth of what had happened when he had broken the curse-to admit how deeply she felt and how she had not been able to shake him from her mind. She had hidden her feelings for years from even her closest friends and family. She had fought to bury them from herself as well before she realized she could not. She had tried to find others to occupy her mind, her heart over the years, but no matter what she did, she always had a sense of what could only be called wrongness. Thinking back, she realized the sense of wrongness stretched even further than the breaking of the curse, as none of the suitors her father had tried to marry her to had ever felt anything but wrong.

But sitting next to him, fingers intertwined, she felt right in a way she had never thought possible.

"You know what." His voice was gruff. And she had a feeling he was right. as he squeezed her hand, his gaze never wavering from the pond even as the other hand took the cigarette from between his lips.

"Do I?" She answered. She needed to have him say what he meant. She wanted to believe her assumption was correct, but she needed to hear him say it. He sighed. He closed his eyes as he tilted his chin upwards, turning his face towards the sky.

"I…" He hesitated, taking another long drag on the nearly spent cigarette. He let the smoke out in an audible exhale. "If all you see this as is necessary, then I, I don't know if I want it." He looked down at the ground between his feet and knit his brow together.

A light chuckle and a small upturn of her lips made Charlotte realize the statement was likely as close to an admission as she was ever likely to receive. She stood and withdrew her hand from his. The movement drew his attention and his dark eyes were wide and disappointed when they met hers. She stood facing him, her knees practically touching his, but for the dress she wore. She reached out and brushed her fingertips over his brow and temple, sliding them through his soft, thick hair.

"I didn't volunteer only out of necessity. I meant what I said in the hallway."

"I know you did."

She placed her hands on his shoulders and leaned forward until her forehead pressed against his. She could feel him relax at the contact.

"Then why are you doubting what I want?"

He sighed deeply, contentedly as he placed his hands on her waist and drew her closer to him. He pulled her to him tightly and laid his head against her belly. Charlotte could feel a rush of embarrassment coloring her face as she glanced toward the other captains. They were nowhere to be seen. She looked down at his unruly hair and ran her fingers through the dark mass of strands.

He sighed again, sounding almost sleepy as he rubbed his head against her.

"Stay with me." The words passed his mouth as a sort of mumbled question. She found it reminiscent of several days-or was it weeks now?, she thought-earlier, when she had found him falling asleep on his feet. "I sleep better when you're with me."

She sighed, realizing he wasn't alone in the matter. She stroked his hair once more. While she had managed to sleep lately, she knew it was not quality sleep, not when she kept waking up to memories of the sounds of slaughter. The last good night's sleep she remembered was when she was next to him.

He looked up at her with worried expectation creasing his forehead. And she finally saw it in his eyes, buried beneath the pain of his grief. She saw the rightness she felt when he had goaded her into telling her secret, when he had kissed her in response, and when she had held him while he had slept after days of exhaustion overtook them both. She could see the same tiredness in his eyes now, but beneath it, she saw so much more. She knew, even if he hadn't said it.

She nodded, knowing what he was asking her. She leaned down and kissed him gently. As she pulled away and looked at him, his eyes were closed, his lips slightly parted, hoping for more, she guessed. Her heart raced as she obliged. His hands slipped further up her back, pulling her down toward him. She pulled away from him once more. Her hand brushed his cheek as he looked at her, groaning in disappointment. She had always thought his face was inscrutable and difficult to read; it surprised her how easily she could read him now. He leaned into her touch.

"Tonight, okay? Right now, we should get something to eat."

He nodded and let her pull him up, but he would not let go of her hand as they walked into the building.


	5. Chapter 5

He expected her back at any moment, but he kept looking at the door, anxious for her return. He sighed as he tried to prepare himself for bed, but every time he looked around the room-his room now, he had to remind himself, all he could think about was Julius. He paced the room before sitting in a chair in the corner, but after a moment he jumped up and paced once more.

"Not entirely true." he muttered as he paced. He fiddled with his cigarette, unlit between his fingers. He stopped and looked down at the small cylinder, wondering why he hadn't lit it yet. Julius hated when he smoked in his office, he remembered; not that Yami let it stop him. He put the cigarette between his lips and forced himself to put the lighter's flame to it. Inhaling deeply, Yami could feel himself relax.

Julius would be so pissed, he thought before he shook his head as he exhaled, marking the space as his own. He tried to sit again as the cigarette took the edge off of his jitters. He glanced at the door and then around the room.

The space was by no means opulent, not in the way Yami imagined most nobles would dress their space, but it was also a far cry from the more spartan accommodations to which he was accustomed. The bed occupying the majority of the room was larger than most he had ever seen. The wooden posts were intricately carved out of a rich brown wood. The linens on the bed were red, Julius' favorite color. They seemed far too delicate and extravagant to Yami. He wondered if it was soft to the touch, though he assumed it was, as everything else in the room seemed to have a softness too it. Except the wooden furniture, which exuded a rich warmth instead. Looking around the room as a whole reminded him of Julius, and Yami could feel himself slipping once more in to the deep, indescribable sadness he had felt for the last several days.

The knock on the door made him stop short. He turned to the opening door, his heart racing.

He felt panicky and he didn't know why. He knew what he had hinted at, and he was certain she had picked up the insinuations and knew what he wanted. But now, as she peeked her head around the edge of the door, he felt nervous, more nervous than he should have.

They had held hands the rest of the evening, throughout the social demands of the post funeral events. Yami was grateful she had not pulled away from him then; he needed her support, her strength, or he had felt he might crack under the weight of the emptiness Julius' absence had left in him, or the burden of the job his late mentor had left to him. Having her by his side had helped him shoulder the weight of both his grief and soon to be appointment to the highest office he could possible hope to attain—an office he had never hoped to seek.

And now she looked in on him, her blond hair falling around her shoulders and framing her face, her eyebrows raised in an unspoken question.

"Can I come in?" She asked hovering in the doorway. He nodded, and she slipped around the door, pushing it shut behind her. She was still in the dark dress she had worn to the funeral and the color contrasted greatly with her pale skin and light hair. She would have looked overpowered by the dark color, had her skin not taken on a splotchy redness that crept up her neck and over her cheeks. She tucked her hands behind her and leaned against the heavy wood door. Her eyes traveled the room, taking in her surroundings, looking at everything except him.

He, on the other hand, could see nothing but her. He walked toward her, drawn in like a moth to a flame.

"I don't think I've ever been in here." She said, fidgeting nervously and still avoiding his eyes. "It definitely doesn't feel like your style. I can see why you've not been able to…" She gasped as he pressed his hand into her cheek and sought her wandering eyes. She breathed deeply as she fell under the weight of his stare, and swallowed hard at the obvious desire she saw in his eyes.

"I really want to kiss you." His voice was a rough whisper, deep and hoarse from too many cigarettes.

"What's stopping you?"

His eyes darted to her lips and then back to her eyes.

"Briars around my throat for not asking permission first. I seem to remember you making a huge deal about some guy assuming he could be so forward with you one time."

"That was you, and I slapped you."

"No, another time. At the festival? You went sort of nuts."

"Oh, yeah."

His tongue darted out between his lips, wetting them before he pressed them into each other.

"So, can I kiss you?"

"I wouldn't be here if the answer was no."

He pressed his lips against hers, pushing her roughly against the door, pinning her there with his body. His presence overwhelmed her, consumed her as his lips drifted from hers, over her jaw and down her neck. He slipped his arms around her waist, pulling her away from the heavy wood door, while still holding her tightly. He pressed his face against her neck. Despite his strength, she could feel him shaking. She wrapped her arms around his shoulders, barely able to reach around the broadness of them. One hand stroked at his neck and cheek, lifting his face to hers. She was not sure how to describe the look in his eyes. She only knew they were filled with the sadness which had consumed him in recent weeks.

She kissed him, gently, allowing herself to fell, for the first time in a long time, what she had long ago buried. She had been able to say the words, to tell him, weeks ago, but she had locked the feeling so deeply within her, she had forgotten how all-consuming her desire for him had been. Now looking in his eyes, she wondered if the desire she saw there was merely a reflection of her own or something he truly felt.

He pressed his lips against hers once more, pulling her further into the room. He devoured her with a hunger she had never imagined he could feel. Not for anyone, especially not for her. But then she thought back to what he had said in the afternoon by the pond. And she realized, as she found herself kissing back, surrendering to him, what he had really meant was he loved her too.

The morning came far earlier than Yami had wagered and he shifted in the plush bed in an effort to hid his head from the light. He buried his face into Charlotte's neck and wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her naked body more closely against him once more. She grunted as his thick forearm slithered beneath her back.

"What are you doing?" she mumbled sleepily, her voice dry and rough.

"Hiding." He kissed her neck and was rewarded with a tiny gasp. "It's too bright."

"Is it morning already?" She turned in his arms, letting him pulled her closer against him.

"mmmHmmm." He hummed, his lips buzzing against her skin as they trailed kisses over her neck and cheek before finding her lips.

"We should get up." She said reasonably. He grunted and held her tighter.

"Don't wanna." His deep voice rumbled, vibrating his chest, his lips buzzing against her skin.

"We have to. The formal appointment is today." She struggled against his firm grip on her waist.

"Too much formality." He complained, his hand sliding down her thigh and then back up until he pressed his fingers against her sex. "I just want you."

"Yami." she stammered as his fingers stroked her desire. She could feel him grinning as he kissed her skin, his tongue flicking over her flesh, his teeth nipping at her. She pushed him onto his back, straddling him and holding his hands above his head. Her breasts, swollen with wanting, brushed against his chest, igniting her desire further as she leaned over him. He leered up at her, his eyes dancing in excitement, and grinning in anticipation.

"You gonna fuck me, Charlotte?" He moved his hips beneath her and she could feel him harden against her. She hadn't planned on giving into him again, not so quickly, but his desire radiated from him like an infection. She settled her hips against his and watched as his eyes slid shut as she began the arduous process of taking her pleasure from him.

The knock on the door minutes later made them both utter a curse.

"Sir?" Marx called from the other side of the heavy door. Charlotte chewed the bottom of her lips as she continued rocking her hips agaisnt his. She was careful to not make a sound as she brought herself closer to release. Yami grunted in frustration and tried to hold her hips still with a firm grip. He groaned as she sliped from his grasp.

"What?" His voice was tortured and gruff. He groaned once more, loudly as she adjusted her pacing and brought herself to release.

"Um, Sir, you have to prepare for the formal vote?" Marx's voice sounded uncertain on the other side of the door. "Perhaps I should come back later?"

She pulled herself from him, sated and lay next to him. She watched as he stared up at the ceiling for a moment.

"Probably a good idea." He called out to the man on the other side of the door. He took a deep breath before turning to her and pushing her down against the bed.

"You are evil, woman." He kissed her. She giggled as he entered her once more.

"You started it."

He kissed her again as he sought release in her.

He kissed her gently as he spent himself, feeling the early morning light on his skin. Her hair glowed golden as he looked down on her, her face flushed and glistening in the sun's light. She smiled up at him, her blue eyes sparkling in a way he'd never noticed before. But then he had never seen her so happy before either. As he kissed her again, he knew he wanted this moment forever. He wanted to see her smiling at him every morning. And he knew, no matter what anyone else thought, their marriage would definitely not be one of necessity alone. He could not help but smile as she stroked his cheek.

"I love you." He said, as the smile on her face spread into a blissful grin.


	6. Chapter 6

Yami hated the formality of the last several days. Between the funeral and all of the meetings, he was fed up with everything. He had witnessed the last appointment of a Wizard King, and even then he thought the process was cumbersome and filled with far more pomp than was needed. He was fine with the captains electing their leader, but anything the king got involved in became a spectacle. When the captains had first cast the vote electing him, they needed to find someone who could help guide them through to survival. He could do that job and did so willingly.

But now the knights needed someone to take on the mantle of Wizard King and lead.

And somehow, people still thought it would be a good idea for him to be the one. He sighed before sucking in the last of his cigarette. Charlotte had left earlier in a frazzled rush after Marx had interrupted their fun. Since then, he had sat on the balcony thinking as the cool morning air caressed his skin. He wondered if Julius had been as uneasy with his appointment as he was now. He wondered if Julius had ever tried to get out of it, as he wanted to. Somehow, he didn't think Julius had ever shared his reservations with the job, or the formality of all of the associated ceremonies.

The initial plan had been to have the formal appointment ceremony immediately after the funeral. But after the excessive length of the funeral, the official vote and appointment was put off an additional day. In retrospect, Yami felt it appropriate to postpone the official naming of the new Wizard King, especially since it was his name up for the office. He was not certain his heart could have taken both events on the same day. He doubted the people would have been able to handle it as well. He flicked the butt of his cigarette over the balcony railing and went back inside to get dressed.

He sighed as he fastened the robe over his shirt. Charlotte had asked him to dress up for the occasion before she left to prepare herself, though the look in her eye told him it was more of an order than a request. While the shirt was not quite as restrictive as the suits Julius had tried to squeeze on to him, it was something to which he was unaccustomed-especially for two days in a row. She had laid out the longer, more traditional robe he had worn to the funeral as well. He had received it the day he had been made captain of the squad-black and gold to replace the aqua and silver he had worn for years, but he had never liked the extra weight. He felt the length was an impedance to his fighting style, and so had fashioned another, shorter version for himself. Even now, he felt the extra weight restricting him, and he didn't think he would have to get into any sort of fight where it would be a hindrance. He picked up the ragged, faded pauldron. The fabric was soft and well broken in under his rough fingertips. It had once been as vibrant as the robe he wore now, but years of use and memories had made it what it was. He unclasped the longer robe and fastened the pauldron around his shoulder over the shirt Charlotte had picked out. She would be disappointed, even mad perhaps, but he could not make the concession. He had worn the longer robe the day before-for Julius. But if today was truly to be the last official day he would be in command of his squad, he would face it as he faced everything else, as Julius had encouraged him to-with his own strength, his own style. In his own way. He reached down to the box on his belt for a cigarette and muttered a curse as he found it empty. Sighing, he checked the time, wondering if he would be able to make a trip to the market for more before the ceremony started. He cursed again as he hurried out the door, already running late.

He met the other magic knight captains in the large room where the formal vote and appointment was being held. Everyone seemed anxious and ready to begin. Yami wondered if they were all feeling the pointlessness of the multitude of ceremonies. He glanced at Charlotte, who smiled and shook her head, as if to say 'I should have known', when she saw him. He wanted to talk to her, but as he started to walk toward her, the King entered the room.

"All Hail, Augustus Kira Clover the thirteenth, King of the Clover Kingdom!" A herald's voice echoed through the room. Yami rolled his eyes as he found his place in the line up to face him.

The king entered the room in a grand fashion, beckoning the nearly nonexistent cheers of the crowd as he approached the line of Magic Knights Captains.

"We have been brought together today to select the next Wizard King. It is most unfortunate we are doing so right now, but alas, we must." He prattled on about various things to which Yami barely paid attention.

"Now, Captains, I understand you have been in conference over your nomination."

"We have." several of the gathered group chorused. The stereophonic sound startled Yami out of his daydreaming. It's starting, he thought, feeling his heart racing in panic. He felt less and less confident in his ability to fulfill the demands of the job he was supposed to fulfill, or to meet the needs of those who would be putting their trust in him. He would do his best, he knew, but he wondered if Nozel would be proven right, if the job would be too much for a foreigner.

He glanced over at Charlotte, a few feet away as he fidgeted. Her serious face looked as beautiful in profile as it had the night before. He knew she was prepared to do what had been discussed-both the nomination and the marriage tied to it. He also knew she wanted him as much as he wanted her. Even if it looked to be one of necessity from the outside, marrying her was the least of his worries.

The King was saying something about how rare it was in recent times to have a wizard king fall in battle, especially one as talented as Julius. Yami barely heard the comments over the pounding of his heart, but when the King waxed poetic about how wonderful of a man Julius was and how the kingdom was poorer for his loss, Yami knew he was full of shit. Everyone knew the king had a disdain for Julius, was jealous of the younger, more charismatic time mage. Eventually, he moved forward to the matter at hand.

"It is customary for the previous Wizard King to name his successor upon retirement. In a case like this, if the fallen Wizard King has named a successor in writing, the suggestion will be taken into consideration, in addition to the Captains's votes."

Yami knew what Julius had told him before he died. He had given him command, but Yami did not think he had meant for it to be a permanent situation. He hoped Julius hadn't meant it that way at least.

"Marx, has Julius left anything for us to consider?" The King asked from his station above the Captains.

"Yes, my King. If I may read it?"

The king gestured toward him and nodded.

"This is the Last Will and Testament of Julius Novochrono, twenty-eighth Wizard King of the Clover Kingdom. If you are reading this, then I have fallen at the hands of one of my proteges in defense of the kingdom."

Yami blinked at the statement and felt a piercing cold pass through his chest. He stared up at Marx as he continued to read.

"The crisis enacted by the student who killed me has passed, due to, in no small part, the actions of my other protege. As of this writing, I know not which one will betray the kingdom and which one will be its savior. But I do know, the betrayer will be dead by the time this is read, leaving the savior to follow in my footsteps."

The sense of cold and dread filled Yami's chest once more. He knew, Yami thought, wondering just how much the old man had known about everything. Yami wasn't surprised. Julius had always seemed to know more than he should, but Yami felt a twinge of anger, wondering how much of certain events had been kept from them all.

"It is this man who I choose to lead after me-the savior, the survivor, either William Vangence or Yami Sukehiro." Marx paused for a moment, looking over the document for a moment. "He continues, but this is all he says on the matter." Marx looked at Yami and then back to the king.

"Very well, thank you." The king waved dismissively towards the adviser who then bowed awkwardly before backing away. "We have all heard the nomination from the words of the former Wizard King. It is now time for your nominations, Captains. We will start with the royal squads."

"Uh, Your Majesty? It is customary to begin with the squad with the highest rank, which would now be the Black Bulls." Marx mentioned from the side of the dais.

"Don't tell me what I can and cannot do!" the King spat with a harsh look at the man who had been his guardian on more than one occasion when Julius had been unavailable. Turning back to the gathered Captains, he addressed them once more.

"We will start with the highest ranking squad as of the last recognition event. Remember you may not vote for yourself. Captain Yami Sukehiro of the Black Bull Squad, who is your candidate and what is your vote?"

"Shit, I'm first?" Yami muttered as he tried to shake the cold feeling eating him from the inside out.

"You dare speak so crudely in the presence of your king?" The king hissed. Yami glared at him. He knew he could take the scrawny man in a fight, but the king was supposed to have both great mana reserves and magic control, and a quick glance at Charlotte let him know now was not the time.

"Sorry, I didn't realize I had to go first is all." Yami took a deep breath as he collected his thoughts. He wished he had a cigarette as he wiped his hands against his pant legs.

"Well?" The King was growing impatient.

"Right, yes. I, Yami Sukehiro, Captain of the Black Bull Squad formally lend my support to Charlotte Roselei for the position of Wizard King. Though I guess it would be Queen in that case." The words tumbled out of his mouth thoughtlessly, instinctively. He had planned on nominating Fuegoleon before the ceremony, but something in the moment made him name Charlotte instead. He wasn't quite sure why her name tumbled from his lips, but he could feel shock rippling through the crowd and especially the other captains. Charlotte's eyes burned through him, though he dared not look at her.

"I see." The king said before he moved to Nozel for his vote. "And Nozel Silva, Captain of the Silver Eagle Squad, who is your candidate and what is your vote?"

Yami stared ahead, but could feel Nozel's cold gaze on him for a long moment.

"I, Nozel Silva, Captain of the Silver Eagle Squad, formally lend my support to Charlotte Roselei for the position of Wizard Queen."

The murmurs in the crowd increased. Yami slowly turned his head toward Nozel only to see the faintest smile on the silver-haired man's face. Charlotte was next, he knew, as her squad was now ranked third after the dissolution of the Golden Dawn. Yami could hear her sputtering a bit, making incoherent noises before the king addressed her.

"Captain Charlotte Roselei of the Blue Rose Knights Squad, who is your candidate and what is your vote?"

Yami took the moment to glance at her as she looked forward at the King. Her face was flushed red and he thought she was quivering, though whether in anger or embarrassment, he couldn't tell.

"I, Charlotte Roselie, Captain of the Blue Rose Knights Squad, formally lend my support to Yami Sukehiro for the position of Wizard King."

The king scowled, unable to hide his distaste of the suggestion, though he had been notified of the original vote weeks prior. He exhaled a rough, displeased breath before he moved on.

Charlotte glared at Yami once the king's attention had turned away from her. He winked at her, which only served to turn her even more red. She had known he would not vote for himself, even if he had been able to. Neither did she think Nozel would vote for Yami, not after the stink he had raised over the nomination. But she never imagined either of them would float her name as a candidate. She was stewing in her own thoughts so much, she did not hear the king address Fuegoleon, but her head spun when the man next to her also named her as his candidate.

She stared at the Crimson Lion Kings captain with wide eyes. Though his sister had been privy to the plan to put Yami in the Wizard King's seat, and had even supported it, Fuegoleon had not been a part of the conversation. His vote was an uncertainty from the beginning. She knew Yami had spoken with him before the funeral yesterday, asking him to step up to the role, but Fuegoleon had refused and had seemed to cast his support behind Yami. Everything had seemed to be set.

Now everything was falling apart. Charlotte took a deep breath and tried to calm herself. Everything could still work out, she told herself, if the remaining captains voted as they should. She glanced back at Yami who smiled at her smugly. She didn't believe he had planned this; She didn't think he would have had the time, but she also knew he did not want the job himself at all. Besides, she thought, hadn't he told her last night he would vote for Fuegoleon?

She heard Jack also vote for her, and she nearly fainted, though she was not surprised-not now anyway. Jack and Yami had a tumultuous history, but she had banked on his dislike of the royals to keep him in her camp. She never imagined he would stand with the other three.

She didn't want the job either, she told herself. She had her hands full enough with the management of her own squad. She had no idea who would take her place if she were chosen. Sol was a good kid and an excellent mage, but she lacked the experience needed to lead. In fact, Charlotte recalled, the young woman had refused any opportunity to learn which would have taken her from Charlotte's side.

Charlotte did the math: The vote count stood three to one in favor of her. If the remaining three captains voted for Yami, as they had agreed, the King would have no choice but to use Julius's recommendation as a tie breaker since William was no longer with them and his squad had been disbanded.

Dorothy was next, and she answered the king's question with her trademarked snores. Everyone, even the king, looked at her, as they tried to decipher what she was saying. The sleeping woman held out a note to the King, who frowned as he took the slip of paper.

"It says Yami Sukihero. Well." He crumpled the paper in his fist before letting it fall to the ground at his feet before addressing the new Purple Orcas captain.

Charlotte crossed her arms over her chest and glanced at Yami, as he mimicked her stance and stared at the steps before him. His jaw tensed and relaxed. She knew he was working through the same calculations in his mind.

"I, Kaiser Granvorka, Captain of the Purple Orca Squad, formally lend my support to Yami Sukehiro for the position of Wizard King."

Charlotte released a deep sigh as Yami made a displeased noise from the head of the line. With Julius's vote for Yami, they were now tied.

"So it comes to you, Rill Boismortier, Captain of the Aqua Deer. Who is your candidate?"

The young captain looked up at the king and then looked down the line of his comrades. He chewed on his lip in thought for a long moment.

"Well, Captain?" The king's impatience sent an anxious buzz through the room.

Rill looked up at the king once more and took a deep breath.

"I, Rill Boismortier, Captain of the Aqua Deer Squad, formally lend my support to Charlotte Roselei for the position of Wizard Queen." He leaned forward and looked down the line at the woman who had nearly collapsed to the floor in disbelief. "Sorry Charlotte."

Yami barked out a laugh and quickly covered his mouth with his hand. Fuegoleon gripped Charlotte's arm to keep her from hitting the ground as the King walked back toward her.

"Well, this is a pleasant surprise. Charlotte Roselei, you have been nominated and elected by your peers to serve as Wizard King, ah, Queen. Do you accept their appointment and offer yourself in service to your king and country?"

Charlotte shook with rage and confusion and leaned heavily on Fuegoleon's arm as she met the king's eyes.

"Yes?" She wanted to scream at all of them, to yell at them for not following the plan, but her mouth worked on its own. The king's raised eyebrow prompted her to take a deep breath and stand on her own two feet. She recovered quickly and stood tall and proud. "I am honored by the faith placed in me by my colleagues. I am privileged to serve you, my king, and to protect our great kingdom." She saluted and bowed. She took another deep breath as she looked at the floor before straightening once more.

"Step forward, Captain Roselei, and greet your comrades as the new Wizard King, uh, Queen."

Charlotte took another deep breath and stepped up the two steps until she was one stair below the king himself. She turned around to the gathered crowd of knights and nobles who applauded her as she gazed out at them. Marx stood before her and unfastened the blue cloak she had worn for so many years. She felt bare as he slipped it from her shoulders, naked in a way she had never felt before—even undressing before Yami the night before had not exposed her so openly.

And when the robe of her new office were draped over her shoulders, she had never felt so burdened by a simple garment. She staggered under the weight of it, though the fabric itself was not any heavier than her old robe. Rather, the responsibilities of the office it represented seemed to weigh her down.

"Congratulations, Charlotte." Marx whispered to her as he fastened the clasp to hold the robe around her shoulders. "Sorry if it's large. We can get it taken it." The robe had been designed for Yami, and as such pooled on the ground at her feet. She felt as if it were going to swallow her.

"It's fine." She muttered, as she flapped her hands, trying to free them from the excess of fabric. Marx chuckled at the motion.

"I'll call the tailor tomorrow. And is Queen what we're going with?"

"Huh? Oh right. No, no need to change the title on account of me being a woman."

Marx nodded and turned around to announce her.

"All Hail, Charlotte Roselei, Twenty-ninth Wizard King of the Clover Kingdom."

Applause erupted as she looked out over the crowd. The section where her squad was seated had become a riot of hoots and hollers as they all jumped to their feet. Charlotte could not help but smile at them before turning her attention to the colleagues she had shared so much with. She looked at each of them in turn, seeing the pride and confidence they had in her beaming on their faces. Even Dorothy had woken up and smiled at her.

And Yami.

Yami.

She wanted to kill him.

She wanted to kiss him.

She wanted to… she didn't know what she wanted to do to him, not when he looked at her the way he was now.

She couldn't quite figure out what he was thinking, but his dark eyes shone, glistening in a way she had only seen when she had caught him crying the day before. This time, thought he was grinning. He mouthed something to her that she could not make out before biting his lower lip and shaking his head, as if to reprimand himself.

Slowly the applause died down and the crowd began to thin. The other captains came forward to congratulate her and pledge their loyalty to her. She smiled and shook their hands as they did so, but she already knew they had her back. They always had and she had no reason to think this would change that fact. Even Fuegoleon and Nozel were all smiles as they greeted her as their new commander.

Yami hung back, waiting. She could see him fidgeting near the bottom of the stairs leading up to the dais from where the king had addressed them. One of his subordinates had approached him and they were talking, though Charlotte could not hear what they said to each other, not with the others giving her their well-wishes. Eventually, he was the only one left. He stood at the bottom of the steps looking up at her for a moment before bounding up them to her.

"I'm sorry." He said, shaking his head in disbelief. "I never imagined…"

"I am going to murder you." She cut him off with a smile on her face.

"I'm really sorry, Charlotte."

"I am going wrap you in my briars, and…"

"In the fun way, or…?" He looked at her hopefully

"If you think asphyxiation is fun as they tighten around your throat and choke the life out of you."

"Kinky."

"Yami!" She smacked him in the chest as her cheeks flushed crimson. He caught her wrist and brought her hand to his lips.

"I really am sorry. I didn't think anyone else would go along with it." He sighed as he rubbed the back of her hand against his cheek before interlacing his fingers with hers.

"You told me you were going to nominate Fuegoleon." She could not hide the disappointment in her voice, though the anger had dimmed.

"Yeah, that was my plan, but, I don't know. When we got here, it just didn't feel… right. I know that's not an excuse."

She pinched the bridge of her nose and took a deep breath.

"Julius would be so mad at you right now. Even he thought you should have been next."

"Actually, I think he would find it hilarious. But he had secret plans for everything, so who knows."

"What's done is done, I guess."

"I guess so."

"My mother is going to be so pissed off."

Yami's eyebrows shot up.

"Charlotte, I don't think I've ever heard you speak so crudely." His tone was part sarcasm and part genuine surprise.

"You must be rubbing off on me." She shot back.

"Touche. But why?"

"Why what?"

"Why will she be pissed? Won't she be happy to have her daughter ascend to the highest rank of the Magic Knights?"

Charlotte barked a cynical laugh.

"Sure, I guess. I think she would rather be planning a wedding though. And now that you aren't Wizard King, we don't have to get married to appease the masses."

"Ah, right." He wrinkled his forehead in thought. "Well, I guess we don't have to." He took her other hand in his.

"And if we don't have to, then she won't have to make the plans, and she loves planning over the top events, believe me." She looked everywhere but at him. Her face felt hot, as confessions from the day before surged through her heart, but never quite managed to make it to her lips.

"I see." He looked at her, willing her to look him in the eye. "We don't have to, but…" She looked up at him then. She gasped and her lips parted slightly when she saw the intensity in his eyes. He wanted to say more, but his body reacted faster than his brain as he pulled her to him and kissed her. The kiss was light, gentle and soft, so unlike the hungry kisses from the night before when he had wrapped his grief in her love and allowed himself to feel what he had kept hidden from so many for so long. The emotion behind the kiss was the same, though—complete and utter adoration and desire.

He pressed his forehead against hers. The words which then came from his mouth did not surprise her. Not when she had been wondering the same thing.

"But what if we want to?"

She sighed. She did want to. Waking up with him that morning had been so blissful, so perfect. She never wanted to change that moment, and she wanted to wake up with him forever. But now, she was going to take on so much more than she had planned. Her mind filled with thoughts, scenarios of what might happen, should they get married. She wondered why she had not been so anxious before, when he was to be the Wizard King and she his spouse of necessity, to ease the minds of those he wold serve.

Now, if they were to marry, she would have to admit what he really meant to her-not just to herself, or to him, but to everyone.

"Charlotte?" His voice quivered slightly, making his accent grow thick with the uncertainty there. She took a deep breath and tangled her fingers into his hair before kissing him gently.

"Time to be honest." she said to herself before she kissed him again. She pulled back form him, and looked into his questioning eyes.

"Yami, I want to marry you."

"But?" He braced himself for rejection.

"No but." She smiled at him, feeling the weight she had not known she had been carrying, lift from her shoulders. "Let's do it. Let's get married. Not because we need to, but because we want to." She sighed as his eyebrow shot up and he smiled at her. "I hadn't realized it before, but I was still hiding, planning to use the idea of necessity to hide how I really feel. Not from you, but from everyone else. You deserve better than that. I'm sorry I didn't see it before, I'm sorry I was so weak." She rambled.

He kissed her.

"You were never weak, Charlotte. Confused, maybe. Stubborn, definitely. But never weak."


	7. Chapter 7

Several weeks into the new job and Charlotte felt as if she were getting the hang of things. Yami had stayed by her side the entire time, as he had promised, only briefly returning to his squad to make sure things were operating as normal. He hadn't said much about them since she had been appointed; he never said much about anything aside from a sarcastic remark here or there. But she could tell he missed them. She had to admit, she missed her own squad as well.

Sitting in the throne Julius had occupied so recently felt strange. Yami had refused to sit in it. He had also refused to meet with anyone in so formal a manner. Just sitting and waiting for others to act also felt strange. And the more she found herself waiting, the more she realized she had been terribly wrong-that Julius had been terribly wrong, to suggest Yami for the role. Though he was with her as often as he could be, typically standing guard next to her as he had taken her safety as his personal mission, he was always moving. The waiting, the sitting still-none of it suited him, at least not when it was by design instead of by choice.

He could also be terribly lazy, she thought as she glanced at him next to her, fingers drumming against the hilt of his sword. She looked up at him, his eyes distant, lost in thought she guessed and she noticed his trademark cigarette was missing. Reflecting on the last few weeks, she realized she hadn't seen him smoke in a while.

She wondered if that could be adding to his edginess.

Marx presented a messenger from a village on the edge of the spade kingdom, and her musings ended as the young woman told her story. She told herself she would ask him later.

After the last visitor departed and the public audience was closed for the day, Charlotte looked around. Yami was gone. She was certain he had disappeared sometime during the afternoon, but she had not seen him slip away. She wanted to look for him, but Marx called her attention to the mountain of paperwork needing approval. She had been avoiding the stack for as long as she could, but she steeled herself, exhaling slowly, and mentally noting to talk to Yami later. She sat at her desk-which had been Julius' and then Yami's desk while he had acted as interim wizard king, though he had little use for it-and began affixing her signature to the proper pages. She needed to talk to Yami, but it would have to wait.

She found him a few hours later in the tower which had recently been rebuilt after William-no, Patri, she reminded herself-had destroyed it the day he had killed Julius.

"Hi." She sat next to him as he stared at the spot where Julius had fallen. He sucked in on his cigarette, drawing the acrid smoke deep into his lungs. He blew the smoke out away from her.

"Hey."

"What are you doing up here all alone?"

Yami shrugged and took another drag on his smoke.

"It was too stuffy in there."

"Tell me about it." She leaned her head back and looked up at the intricate design woven into the roof. Yami had told everyone after the fighting ended about how Julius had died, where and when. Seeing the care taken with the tower's restoration-a care not taken elsewhere, she realized how deeply the older man's death had affected everyone. Every spot seemed to hold a meaning now, and people honored it and the emotions tied to it.

She slipped her arm through his and laid her head on his shoulder. The ease of the action still surprised her, as did his response. Every time, he wrapped his arm around her shoulders and pulled her into his side. Her arms slithered around his waist as he sheltered her. She always felt a little guilty at how comforting his embrace was for her, even more so at times like these, when she knew he needed to be comforted.

"Are you alright?"

"No." His chest rumbled against her ear. "But holding you makes me feel better."

She smiled.

"Want to talk about it?"

He chuckled and squeezed her to him. He rubbed his nose against the top of her head and breathed deeply.

"You sound like Marx."

She looked up at him and made a sour face. The mind mage who assisted her constantly badgered her about her mental state and the stress of the job. He also apparently badgered Yami about his grief, or so she had been told.

Yami caught her chin in his hand and kissed her softly.

"I know something that will make me feel better." He rubbed the tip of his nose against hers in a lazy circle. "Are you done for the day?"

"I am, but we have somethings we need to talk about."

Yami tossed his head back and groaned in frustration.

"Like, your squad and who is actually overseeing them right now?"

He sighed, and Charlotte could not quite make out if it was a wistful or frustrated sigh.

"You miss them." She brushed his cheek, drawing his eyes back to her. "Don't try to tell me otherwise. I miss my own squad too."

"They are more than a squad, you know?"

"They are your family."

"Yeah."

"And soon, I'll be your family too." She hesitated to talk about their agreement to get married. It hadn't exactly been a proposal, nor was it anymore an arrangement as it had been prior to her election. But they had agreed, and they both wanted to be together.

"Charlotte, you already are."

"I guess you're right." She blushed unexpectedly. She had slowly gotten over her embarrassment of being with him, or rather, of being with anyone period, but the confirmation of their relationship, so succinctly, brought everything back.

"But yeah, I miss them. As stupid as it seems, I miss the hell out of those idiots."

"When's the last time you saw them?"

Yami pulled another cigarette from his secret stash and lit it. He took a deep breath, sucking in the smoke and letting it out slowly.

"At the vote." He wrinkled his brow for a moment. "No, I saw them a week or so after."

"Go to them."

"But."

"No. Go. Don't make me order you." She smiled up at him. "You don't have to keep watch over me all the time, you know. I am capable of watching my own back."

He hugged her tightly to his chest once more.

"I know, I just… after losing Julius, I don't want to risk losing you too."

"I'll be fine. And when you come back, we can start planning a wedding."

"Ugh, right. But, all of that can wait until tomorrow."

"Why is that?"

He stood and pulled her up to her feet. He lowered his head to press his forehead against hers as he pulled her hips toward his.

"Because tonight, I want to pretend we're already married."

He kissed her in a way which made her melt against him and left her breathless. She wanted him to keep kissing her like that forever.

 **The next morning, Charlotte woke to an empty bed. The pillow was still warm as if Yami had only recently left. She rolled over and buried her face where he had lain, taking in the scent of him. The smell always made her smile. She stretched and stood, wishing she could stay beneath the warm blankets, but also wishing he was still beside her.**

 **As she dressed, she noticed a neatly written note on the vanity. In it, he apologized for not waking her and letting her see him off, but he wasn't certain he would be able to leave her if he had been able to kiss her good-bye. He wrote he would try to contact her later, and would definitely see her in a couple of days. She smiled, wondering what sort of reception he would receive once he returned home. She knew he needed to be with his squad, his family. She would have wagered they needed him as well. Her fingers brushed over the scrawled signature which was so different from the neat print of the rest of the letter.**

 **She missed him already, but she forced herself to greet the day with as much focus as possible.**

Yami emerged from the portal from the capital to appear in front of the haphazard structure he had commandeered years ago. The seemingly random angles jutting out in every which way, the shifting scene, the slow gentle breathing of the building gave him a comfort he never thought a building capable of. He could hear the ruckus from within and felt a small smile creep onto his lips.

"They better not have touched any of my stuff," he muttered as he pushed his way through the door. The scene which met him was as familiar as ever with Magna chasing Luck, Vanessa passed out on the couch and Charmy tucked in at the table devouring a pile of... something. Yami didn't want to bother trying to figure out what. The others were scattered around the room, doing what they pleased with little concern for what else was happening. Yami's heart warmed at seeing them.

As soon as the door closed behind him-quiet compared to the normal fists slamming into walls anyway, the entire room stilled. Except for Vanessa. She sat up. The squad was perfectly silent for a heartbeat which seemed to sound in unison from all those present before noise erupted once more as they all greeted their captain. Yami could barely make out the individual voices greeting him as they all spoke at once, but he didn't really care what they were all saying. He only cared that they were saying it. He only cared that he could see their eager faces. He held his hands up and they stilled. 'A far cry from having to put my fist through the wall to get their attention,' he thought, as he looked at each one in turn.

"Welcome home, Captain!" they greeted him in unison as they fell in line before him.

"What the hell have you idiots done to the base?" He scolded before a broad smile spread across his face.

"How long are you staying, Captain?" Magna asked.

"I thought you were staying in the capital... with her," Vanessa said as she rubbed the back of her head. In her hungover state, Yami could not miss the jealousy in her expression.

"I figured you lot needed someone to keep you in line. Charlotte thought so too. So you haven't quite gotten rid of me yet."

"Oh man!" Finral whined, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "And I was so looking forward to trying to manage this bunch of assholes."

Yami lit another cigarette and chuckled.

"Like we would actually listen to a cowardly, no-good, skirt-chaser like you." Zora countered. The pair continued to bicker as Yami just watched, sucking down the acrid smoke of his cigarette.

"Despite recent events, or perhaps because of a change in recent plans, I am still your captain, whether you like it or not." He said after a moment. His voice alone was enough to quiet the argument building among the squad. "And from the looks of things," He looked around the common space, which was a bigger mess than usual-though it did not have quite as many of his trademarked holes as it once did. "You need me." He crossed his arms over her chest. "However, I will still have to split my time between here and the capital. After everything that has happened, don't be surprised if there are quite a few changes coming."

The squad members looked at each other and mumbled curiously.

"What kind of changes?" Magna asked. Yami shrugged.

"Charlotte has some ideas about training and getting more people prepared if we have anything crazy happen again. But aside from that, I'm not sure. Still, I'm going to be helping her, all of the captains are."

"So, what about you and Charlotte?" Finral asked, his attention turning from Zora, his eyebrows waggling.

Yami felt the grin spread over his face and could do nothing to stop it. He didn't want to either. He took his cigarette between his fingers as his tongue darted between his lips unconsciously.

"We're, uh, we're good. And we're getting married still, well, eventually. We haven't really talked much about the details."

"Are you sure?" Vanessa asked, her eyes wide and hopeful.

Yami looked at her, recognizing for the first time how she wore her feelings for him on her sleeve. His face fell and he sighed. He didn't want to hurt her, but he knew he had no choice-not if he were to follow his heart.

"Yeah, I am." He tried to keep his voice gentle, to lessen the sting as best he could, but he could see the light of hope dim in her eyes. She closed her eyes and shook her head as if to force the thought of him from her mind. When she looked at him again, she wore the biggest smile he had ever seen on her face, but it was a smile that did not reach her eyes.

"If you're sure, then I'm happy for you."

But he could see the tears forming, glistening in her eyes before she left the room. The rest of the squad gave him their 'congratulations' and their' welcome homes' before dissipating through the building, returning to their tasks and activities. Yami looked over at the board on the common room wall now filled with golden stars where black ones once stood. Despite his absence, the number seemed to have multiplied since the Crisis, as people had taken to calling the event which had nearly torn the kingdom asunder. The room hummed with discussion, or eating, or the general activity of the building's occupants, and Yami felt a sense of peace wash over him. The feeling was not quite the same feeling of wholeness he felt when he wrapped Charlotte in his arms, but it was close. He could only describe the feeling as 'home'.

He made his way to the room which had been his home for the last six years. Opening the door, he noticed immediately how some things had been shifted or moved, despite the time he had been away. It wasn't much, but he noticed it.

"Who the hell touched my stuff?" His voice boomed through the building. Yami could hear the rest of the squad scurry out of the building so as to not face his wrath. He sighed as he moved every little thing back into place. He did not have much; he had learned to travel light long ago, and could fit much of what he owned into a small bag should he ever need to disappear. But each item he had was deeply tied to a memory. Julius was tied to many of them, but each of his squad members too had given him something to call them to mind-not that they knew of it, of course. As had each of the adversaries he had overcome since he had joined the Magic Knights.

As he replaced the broken sword which had been knocked to the ground, his eyes caught on an old white scrap of fabric. He pulled the still soft knit out from under the shelf and rubbed a deep brown stain between his fingers. The shirt was dusty and grimy, aside from the stain, from years of neglect and being forgotten, pushed under the shelf and into memory. moths had eaten holes through the cloth over the nearly ten years since he had last worn the shirt., fraying the edges until they were ragged. He had thought the old shirt long gone, lost in the transition from his life under Julius' direct command to taking on his own. He had last worn it the day he had stumbled across Charlotte with her magic gone out of control.

"I should have kissed her then." He sighed. "I was stupid not to try at least." He had often regretted simply walking away that day, leaving her staring at his back. He had always thought she was beautiful-everyone did as she was arguably one of the most beautiful women in the kingdom; her beauty was nothing new. But that day, something had shifted. Maybe it was the way she looked at him, maybe it was her vulnerability beneath her strength. He had never been able to pinpoint what it was, but it had changed him. He felt a rightness he had never been able to identify until now.

Looking at the shirt, he realized he had fallen in love with her that day. He folded the shirt neatly and placed it back with his collection. He wondered what she was doing, what sort of menial, boring, yet important, task Marx had her working on. He wished he was with her if only to hold her for a bit. He could recall how she felt as she let herself melt against him after a long day managing the affairs of the kingdom's military. She was good at the job, he had to admit, Far better than he could possibly hope to be, but she had told him before it was only because she could lose herself in him at the end of the day... or sometimes in the middle, if things had gotten too stressful. He wondered how she was holding up without him there.

A flash of light near him drew his attention. A small letter materialized through the portal and he snatched it before it hit the ground. He cracked the seal and opened the document. Reading the contents made him sigh. His work cleaning up the mess the other had made of his room would have to wait. He skimmed the letter again as he walked out of the door and called together the squad. They had a mission. He read through the details once more, not so much reading the words again, but rather examining the neat, yet ornate script of her handwriting. Charlotte had sent the assignment personally. He could tell because of the brief post-script after the mission details. She had simply written 'I miss you'.

After giving the assignment to Luck, Magna, and Vanessa, and then a second to Gauche, Asta, and Noelle, Yami looked at the letter once more. He wondered if he could go back to the capital tonight. Finral was still at the base; with his spatial magic, it would take no time at all to return. But she had told him to take a couple of days, and looking at the base, his kids did seem to need him. He sighed as he picked up one of the communication artifacts assigned to the squad. He knew the device would connect him to the communications office at headquarters. He wondered if he could use it to contact her directly.

He flipped open the lid of the device and manipulated some of the internal workings. In no time at all, a small blue glowing figure appeared-a young man in a purple orca robe.

"Connect me to the Wizard King." He said without preamble. The figure blinked a couple of times as if his brain had not quite processed the request.

"Uh, I'm sorry, I'm not supposed to..."

"Fine, then connect me to Marx, the Wizard King's adviser."

"Is this an emergency? I'm only supposed to provide a direct connection in an emergency."

"It's going to be if you don't." Yami's voice grew menacing and the young man flinched at the magical aura he pushed through the device.

"Very well, Sir." The image wavered out of existence and was replaced a few seconds later by a sighing Marx.

"What is it, Yami?"

"How did you know it was me?"

"The rookie mentioned something about a big scary man making demands, and I just assumed." Marx's voice sounded bored, weary, and frustrated.

"Connect me to Charlotte."

"The Wizard King is busy." Marx said, trying to be patient, but Yami noticed how he rolled his eyes. "I know you don't care, but there are proper channels to go through to talk to her."

"Not if you're her fiance, there's not."

"Maybe. But Yami, really, she's busy meeting with some delegation from the Diamond Kingdom. Want me to tell her you called? I'm sure she will call you back when she can."

Yami grunted.

"I guess."

"Oh, and is your squad taking care of those things she sent you?"

"Yeah. The idiots jumped at the chance, actually."

"Good." Marx's small luminescent form nodded. "Good. That will be a weight off of her shoulders."

"Whatever, just tell her I tried calling."

"I will. And you're right. We've never had to deal with a Wizard King with a partner who didn't live with them in the capital before. They were all either unmarried, like Julius, or their spouses weren't also Magic Knight Captains." He looked off into the distance for a moment. "I'll see what I can do about a direct line to her.

Yami closed the artifact with a frustrated sigh before he laid back onto the bed. The house was quiet for the lack of people. Everyone left was quiet in their own right, and not one among them was someone he felt he could or should talk to about things-not of a personal nature anyway. He grabbed a stale pillow from next to him and hugged it tightly to his chest. But unlike the pillows in her room in the capital, it did not smell like her. He tossed it away and sat up.

"Look at me, acting like a lovesick fool. I'm too old for this shit."

He tried to take a bath, thinking a good relaxing soak would help get his mind off of her, but it did just the opposite. He sat and watched Charmy eat for a while as Gray looked on in horror at how much the tiny woman was able to stuff into her small frame. Zora and Finral walked in, at it again. The pair never seemed to get along, which was part of the reason why he had given Zora so easily over to his last mission of hunting down traitors in the ranks of the magic knights. But now, Finral, who had grown stronger in spirit, if not in his magic, had taken to trying to order everyone around. Yami looked at them argue realizing it was probably his fault Finral had gotten so bossy. He had left the spatial mage essentially in charge when he had relocated to the capital. And Zora, well, Zora had always had a difficult time with authority.

"Knock it off, you two." he bellowed across the room. They, and everyone else in the room jumped, as if they were no longer used to him being there. He barked a short laugh before he shook his head and downed the last of his glass. The alcohol burned his throat as it went down and he poured himself another.

"Are you alright, Boss?" Zora eyed him, suddenly serious. Finral also looked at him with concern.

"Fine." Yami shot the glass as if it were tequila and not wine. "Don't we have anything better than this shit?"

"Vanessa's gone through it all already." Finral leaned against the table before glancing at Zora. As Yami watched, the pair seemed to come to a silent understanding and agreement.

"You are not fine." Zora crossed his arms over his chest as he took a seat at the table. Charmy looked up from her feast at the newcomers, glaring with murderous intent before recognizing them and turning back to her eating. Gray also turned their attention to the captain

"What's wrong, Yami?" Finral asked.

"Nothing's wrong. It's good to be back here. It's good to be with you all again."

"But..." Gray prompted.

"But I miss her." Yami sighed, and poured another glass.

"You sure seem head over heels, Boss. Sounds like a pain in the ass."

"Shut up, Zora." Finral shot the taller trap mage a look of frustration.

"It's stupid." Yami said. "But I can't stop thinking about her now that I'm here. But while I was there, I couldn't stop worrying about you idiots."

"Aw, you were worried about us?" Zora feigned surprise. Finral rolled his eyes at the ever sarcastic comments the red-head made. Yami grunted when a knock on the door caught all of their attention. Gordon stood from the tattered couch and opened the heavy door. Asta stood in the narrow doorway with a massive boar over his shoulders.

"Get out of they way, Stupidsta!" Noelle tried to squeeze past.

"I thought I gave you all a mission?" Yami took a sip of his glass as he regarded them with a cocked eyebrow.

"You did, and we're done. And I brought home a little something in celebration of your return, Captain." Asta looked at him with his ever hopeful eyes as he also tried to squeeze through the door with the dead creature still slung over his shoulders.

"You're never going to get through, so get out of the way." Gauche glared with his hands shoved deep into his pockets. Yami could barely see him past Asta.

"Is that meat?" Charmy looked up from her meal, salivating at the vision in the doorway. In a flash she tackled Asta and the boar, clearing the doorway.

"Why are you trying to bring that in here?" Finral complained, yelling over the sound of Charmy and Asta scrabbling over the boar. He opened a rift beneath the pair and pulled Charmy from Asta as they reappeared in front of him. Charmy kept working her tiny legs and arms as she struggled to break free. The noise of Asta reprimanding Charmy and Noelle, Finral and Gauche reprimanding Asta was so loud that Yami barely heard the chime the communication artifact made. He did not know how long it had been chiming when he ducked out of the common area to answer it.

Charlotte looked frazzled on the other end when she appeared in blue translucent miniature.

"No, I'm not sure, but that's why we need to meet with him. No." She sighed in frustration at something Yami could not see, but she looked like she was going to either punch something or pull her hair out. "No, Marx. Listen. No, it's going to be fine. I know he's Diamond Kingdom, but he's a defector, and he helped. You can argue all you want but we will meet with him about this."

"Is everything alright?" He knit his brows together in worry at her frazzled state. She seemed to visibly relax as she looked at him.

"Marx, no. Later." She looked briefly to the man just out of view before she looked back at Yami. He heard the sound of a heavy door slamming shut. "I know I told you to go and I know I said I would be fine, but dammit, I miss you."

Yami's lips quirked up in a smile.

"I miss you too. Want me to come back? I could be there in no time at all."

She opened her mouth to say something, closed it again as she considered the offer and then shook her head. She smiled sadly as she looked at him.

"No, you need to be with your family." She had used the word he had hesitated to use for so long, but her knew she was right. The squad was indeed his family, and always will be, regardless of his relationship with her. He would always need them, despite how much he needed her as well. "Besides, I could use some time away from the capital myself."

Yami's eyebrows shot up.

"Are you suggesting what I think you're suggesting? Isn't that kid from the diamond kingdom supposed to be there tomorrow?"

"I can be back before the delegation arrives. It takes no time at all to get to the capital from your base, doesn't it? If I recall correctly you've got a pretty good spatial mage there."

Yami chuckled.

"Don't let him hear you say that. He'll add it to his list of highly exaggerated titles when he tries to pick up girls."

"I'll be there in an hour." She moved to sever the connection

"Charlotte."

"Yes?"

"Are you sure you don't want me to come back there?"

She shook her head.

"I'll see you soon." The connection went silent and her image vanished. Yami closed the communication artifact and went to see why it had gotten so quiet all of a sudden.

He shouldn't have worried at the silence, though something about it was eerie about the quiet. Frankly, he had always found such silence unnerving, and it was part of the reason he had been anxious to leave the capital. While the capital itself was bustling and busy, the apartments he shared with Charlotte were usually as silent as the tomb in which they had laid Julius to his final rest. At least during the day. When she was with him at night, the rooms were anything but silent. He felt a satisfied grin creep across his face as he thought back to the many nights they had shared in the last few weeks. He took a long drag on his cigarette and stood grinning like an idiot as he watched the rest of his crew chow down on the large beast Asta had brought back as a supposed celebration. Yet, he noted, they had not made sure he was also there to celebrate.

"Come on over, Captain!" Asta called when he eventually noticed Yami's presence. As he joined in on the fun, Yami lost track of time among the laughter and teasing conversation of his team. It wasn't until Luck suddenly looked up from the feast and peered toward the forest that he thought to tell them all that his fiancee was going to stop by for a visit.

"Someone's here." Luck announced shortly after the Noelle, Finral and Vanessa also looked toward the overwhelming sensation of power. As soon as he had felt it, he knew exactly who it was. A smile crept on his face that he could not stop.

"That is probably Charlotte." Yami said as he wiped his face and hands. The barbecued meat was juicy and had dripped everywhere as he had eaten. Just as he had finished cleaning up a bit and turned toward the sense of her, she appeared out of the forest surrounding the old house he had turned into the squad headquarters. He left the group and trotted to meet her. She had stripped herself of her ranks of office, of the heavy robes and finery she wore on a day to day basis. Also missing was her armor and helmet, and her long blond hair hung in sheets framing her face. Even her side braid was missing. She looked more like she had the day he had stumbled upon her in her hometown- the day she turned eighteen, the day he had rescued her, than she had in a very long time. Seeing her so relaxed made him grin.

"Hey, Gorgeous." He looked her over as they met. She rolled her eyes at the compliment, but couldn't stop the smile that also erupted on her face. The happiness, the joy in her expression made him fall in love with her all over again. He slipped his hand around her thin waist and pulled her to him, using his thumb to tilt her chin upwards as he met her lips. Her arms snaked around his waist and neck and her fingers tangled into the hair at the back of his head as she pulled him deeper into her. The kiss lasted only a moment, but also felt as if it lasted forever before her hand fell upon his chest and pushed him back slightly.

"You're so silly." She laughed as her eyes met his dancing. He only grinned. "Are you having a party?" She asked as she looked around him at the gathered squad standing around the pit and the feast roasting in it.

"Just a little cookout." He took her hand and led her to the group. "Have you met everyone?"

He could feel her resisting somewhat, hesitating as he made introductions, but he kept hold of her hand and didn't let her pull away. Asta and Noelle welcomed her without question, though some of the older members-Vanessa, especially-were polite, yet cool in their reception. As Charmy offered her some of the food they were all sharing, Yami could feel her relax, though she looked at him with a question in her eyes. She ate gratefully and slowly the squad fully warmed to her presence. Yami shared her plate, but ate one-handed as he rubbed her back. They had only been apart for a few hours, but he had missed her terribly.

 **"So, what brings you out here?" He asked as he shut his bedroom door behind him. Her lips crushing against his answered the question far more succinctly than words ever could. Her hands on his chest, her body pressing against his was all the proof he needed of how her day without him had gone.**

 **"I missed you." She stroked his cheek with the tips of her fingers. scratching his stubbly skin with her neatly manicured fingernails. "I told you that already." She laid her head against his chest as she wrapped her arms around his waist. He sighed as he stroked her back and kissed the top of her head.**

 **"I missed you too, but we're going to have to get used to this."**

 **"I know." Yami thought her voice sounded sad. "I know. Work to be done and all that. I just, I guess I wish things could be like they have been forever." His chuckle rumbled in his chest.**

 **"We both know we will eventually drive each other crazy."**

 **She squeezed his waist.**

 **"True, I suppose. Still, I like being able to hug you like this whenever I want."**

 **"Only hugs?" His voice suggested more, offered more. Through the thin fabric of his shirt, he could feel the heat rising from her blushing cheeks. He could see the light pink blush through her pale hair.**

 **"You know what I mean."**

 **He grinned as he tilted her chin up to him. He gazed into her crystalline eyes for a long moment, seeing the desire he felt reflected back to him.**

 **"Yeah, I know." He kissed her slowly, firmly as he guided her to the bed.**

Yami held her close as he looked up at the cracks in the old ceiling, wondering if Henry had done something to the building recently. The hair-thin serpentine paths spider-webbing across the stone above his head had not be there before, at least no to his recollection. Charlotte snored softly against his chest as she slept. She had found release quickly, far more quickly than he would have liked, and exhaustion had overwhelmed her afterward. She had been working herself sick, he knew, as he also had been doing while in the capital. He wanted to suggest a respite for her as she had allowed him, but he knew she would not listen, not now, not when so much needed to be done. He sighed, a sense of gratitude for the short break she had taken to be with him, and a sense of frustration over not being able to change this to make it easier on her.

He hadn't expected her to wake as he shifted from beneath her, but as he tried to roll over, she was suddenly attentive.

"We need to talk about the wedding."

He sighed before turning to face her. The dim light of an oil lamp cast a reddish glow on her skin and hair. She looked almost as if she were bathed in fire. She had sated him before she fell asleep, but he could feel the stirrings of desire once more.

"We do."

"So, um, how do you want to do this thing?" She seemed as nervous talking about their pending, but as yet unplanned, nuptials as she had once been when talking about her own desires.

He shrugged.

"Doesn't really matter to me. I just want to be able to call you my wife. We could go run off and get married now for all I care."

"You really don't want any sort of ceremony? It doesn't matter to you at all?"

"Not really."

"There's nothing from your homeland you would want to include to honor the day?"

Yami laid on his back and looked up at the ceiling and the hairline fractures traveling across it once more. He tried to think back to the land of his childhood. The memories came with more difficulty now. He realized he had now been in his adopted home longer than he had lived in the land which would always be his home in his heart. But as he thought, he realized he knew little of the marriage customs of his own people. He told Charlotte this and she made a small sound of surprised empathy.

"I thought you said your mother wanted to plan all of this."

"Well, she does, but I would hate for you to be uncomfortable at your own wedding." She had pillowed her head on his shoulder once more and was tracing lazy circles in the light smattering of hair on his chest. Yami thought long and hard about his options. He felt he had been allowing himself short bursts of attention to the matter of the wedding in between longer bursts focusing on other matters at hand. In the time since Charlotte was elected Wizard King, however, his time spend on the matter had greatly decreased.

"Whatever you want will be fine, Charlotte." He meant it.

"I don't know what I want. I mean, I want to please my mother. I get so few opportunities these days, and she hates you, so I guess I figure if I can have a wedding she would be proud of, at least it would be something to make her happy. I don't know. And then I want to give the people what they want-a large public affair where everyone can see."

Yami felt himself groan uncontrollably at the thought of a public wedding.

"But I don't really want to do that, either of them really. I just feel like I should have this big public ceremony and that it would make everyone happy."

"But what do you want Charlotte?"

Her hand stilled on his chest and she lay quietly breathing for a long moment. In the tension of the silence hanging in the air, Yami found himself gently stroking her arm.

"I'm not sure." She answered after a long pause. "I guess, I just want to be done with it."

"So let's get married tomorrow."

"Can't, have the diamond kingdom delegation arriving tomorrow."

He grunted.

"Right."

"This is never going to happen, is it." She sighed.

Yami shrugged.

"Does it really need to?"

A few days later, Charlotte was pacing the carpet in the throne room. She had called him back from his squad, under the pretense of an emergency. But nothing was wrong, not with the kingdom, or the knights. The only thing was that she had been thinking about what they had discussed during their last night together. She had ordered his entire squad-at least those who were able to travel-to accompany him. A few of her friends and colleagues, as well as a couple of the other captains they both served with were also in the room awaiting his arrival.

She jumped at the sound of the door cracking open, her nervousness on high alert. She had made the decision rashly, without much thought. She knew it was right, but she still questioned it and herself for making it. She stopped her pacing as he entered the room. He was dressed in his typical gear-calling it casual would be a stretch, as it was downright sloppy by any measure. But something about seeing him made her heart skip a beat regardless of how he was dressed. Seeing him now made her more confident in her decision. She was ready and she wanted to be with him, to marry him, to call him her husband and maybe, just maybe start a family with him. She knew, finally, and after so many years of longing, she knew exactly what she wanted.

As she watched him walk up the strip of deep green carpet lining the path to where she stood, she noticed his confused expression. She hadn't told him why she needed him to come to the capital. Nor has she told him why she wanted the rest of his squad to accompany him. Looking at the several members of the black bulls arrayed behind him, she saw similar expressions on some of their faces. Others were simply in awe at the summons, and other still seemed skeptical of the unfolding events.

"What's going on, Charlotte?" Yami asked when he reached her. Customarily, he should have addressed her as Wizard King, but Yami never took much stock in customs and traditions.

She looked up at him and felt the nervousness rush back through her body. Now or never, she told herself, just as she had psyched herself up over the last few days when she had hatched this plan. She held out her hand for him.

"Can we talk a minute?" She led him behind the throne which she hated, yet from which she was expected to pass judgment.

"Sure. What do you want to talk about?"

Charlotte took and released a deep breath.

"Do you still want to do it?"

Yami's eye's shot wide.

"It can mean a lot of things. What specifically are you asking about?"

"Us getting married. Why? What did you?" Her mind processed his insinuation slowly, far more slowly than she usually did. "Oh. Yami, we already to that..." She dropped her voice to a conspiratorial whisper as color rose to her cheeks. She sighed and rubbed her hands over her face as she shook her head to clear it. She looked back up at him, her eyes focused and determined.

"Do you want to marry me, yes or no?" she still kept her voice low out of fear of what he might say. She shouldn't have been afraid; the sardonic smile on his face was answer enough.

"Yes. I already told you."

"Alright. Then, let's do it."

"Get married?"

"Yes."

"When?"

"Now."

"Now, now?"

"No, later now. Of course, now now." She rolled her eyes, partly at the look of shock on her face and partly at how much of his attitude she had adopted over the last few months.

"I thought you wanted to plan something big, or something."

"I thought I did, but all I really want is to be married."

"This is so impulsive of you, Charlotte." He chuckled and brought her hand to his lips.

"I don't know if impulsive is the right word. I've been thinking of nothing else for the past four days."

His kissed her knuckles once more.

"Maybe assertive would be a better description." She added.

"I like assertive. It' looks good on you."

"So is this a yes?"

"To what?"

"Getting married now. Like, right now."

"Give me a few minutes and I'll be yours forever." He pulled her against him and kissed her. "though you're sure you are alright with not having you parents here?"

She scoffed at the suggestion. In the last few days, her mother had pressed her into larger and larger plans for the wedding, but all the while she complained about the groom. At one point, Charlotte had ordered her mother to leave, and she hadn't seen her since. It wasn't the first time her mother had lamented Yami's background as being too common for her daughter, but Charlotte had sworn it would be the last. Since then, her mind had been filled with nothing but thoughts of being with him, of having him by her side. While her parents had long ago chosen their idea of her over the reality.

"Yes. I'm fine with it."

A few minutes later, she held his hands before their gathered friends and found family. A few of her former squad members stood to one side, supporting Sol as she cried. Charlotte had known the young woman had been infatuated with her, but she never imagined she would be so upset by the marriage. Charlotte hoped, she would be able to find a love more suited to her, and was certain others would help comfort her in her grief. But as she looked into his dark eyes, Charlotte felt a sense of warmth and home she had never experienced with anyone else. Not even her family, not even her best friends had given her the feeling of completeness she felt when she looked at him. The officiant said something, some rushed nonsense about how the connections people shared helped them all to overcome the recent trying times, but the words were meaningless when compared to the look in his eyes that she now recognized as love.

"Do either of you want to say something, or should we get on with it?" The older gentleman asked. The lovers turned simultaneously to him before turning back to each other.

"Yeah." Yami said as his eyes met hers once more. "When I first washed up here, so much could have gone wrong. In fact, so much did go wrong. for years, I searched and searched for a home, for a family. First it was... Julius." His voice broke over the name. She squeezed his hand and smiled up at him. "And then it was my squad." He turned and looked at the gathered members of the Black Bulls. Charlotte also looked at ragtag group. Every single one of them beamed with pride, wiped tears from their eyes, or both. "And now, well, now I can't picture existing without you either. I'm still grieving over Julius, as are so many." He reached out and brushed her cheek. The officiant cleared his throat and frowned at the action. "But you have been a light in my life for, well, for longer than I cared to admit. I've wanted to add you to my family for so long. And now I can. I," He sighed as his voice broke once more. He smiled and shook his head as he closed his eyes before looking down at their joined hands. "I never thought I'd get so worked up on this." He mumbled. She placed her hand on his cheek and he leaned into the touch as the officiant made another annoyed little noise.

"You don't have to say any more." She whispered. He opened his eyes and looked at her from beneath heavy lids.

"I love you, Charlotte."

"Do you remember the cave outside of Nein? You asked me something then. I rejected the idea at the time. I was too, well, nervous isn't exactly the right word. I was too caught up in my own ideas of what I should be, not for myself, but for everyone around me. But you've never asked me to be something I'm not, well, maybe you have asked me to be a little nicer. but I was only mean because I had built a wall around myself, one so tall and thick that no one could get through it. But you, every single time I saw you, you chipped away at that wall. That's not right either, not entirely. When you broke the curse, it was like you fired a ballista at it, piercing it all the way to my heart. The damage was done that day, but after then, you chipped away at the hole bit by bit, even if you didn't realize you were doing it. I tried to rebuild it, but it was never as good or strong as before. And then, one day, in that cave. You had gotten your ass handed to you." She chuckled with a smile. The officiant sputtered at the phrase.

"I did not." He protested. She raised her eyebrows in challenge.

"You did, but by fighting three of the most powerful mages I had ever seen, mages who gave Nozel, Jack, and I a difficult time one on one. And after that, you asked me something. Do you remember?"

He wrinkled his brow as he thought before a smile cracked his face.

"Yeah, I remember."

"Consider us old and gray then, Yami." She chuckled as she matched his smile. He nodded in agreement. "I love you too."

"Are you two quite finished?" The officiant asked impatiently. "You may be Wizard King, but I do the Goddess's work, and she is most frustrated with your lack of respect for the holiness of the ceremony." Yami and Charlotte looked from him to each other, both stifling a laugh.

"Yeah, yeah. Sorry." Yami muttered under his breath.

The officiant grunted and puffed out his chest with self-importance and Charlotte lost herself in Yami's eyes once more as he droned on. Several prayers and incantations later, their wrists bound together, their mana symbolically joined, the officiant said the final words of blessing and announced them as husband and wife in the eyes of the spirits, of the Goddess, and of all those present. As soon as the echo of his words faded from the room, Yami's lips were on hers as he snaked his free hand around her waist and up her back. He pulled her in tightly to him. She could tell he wanted more than would be socially acceptable at the moment as his lips crushed against hers. She would be lying to say she didn't feel the same. She pressed her hand against his chest and resisted the urge to slide it around his neck and tangle her fingers in the hair at the back of his head. She tapped on his chest a couple of times before he took the hint and backed off.

"Sorry." His whisper was just loud enough for her to hear him over the cheers of congratulations from the small crowd which had gathered.

"Don't be." She met the desire in his eyes with her own. "Later."

He nodded before they turned to the people below them.

"You are supposed to recess now." The officiant reminded them.

"Right." They said in unison before stepping down from the dais. They walked down the aisle lined with people-not just those who had been called in for the event, but others who had joined in part way after word of the ceremony spread throughout the building. Once they reached the heavy double door, a pair of mage guards opened the exit and they stepped into the hallway. They breathed a sigh of relief simultaneously.

"Well, that just happened." Yami said in disbelief, before smiling at her.

"It sure did." Charlotte answered.

"Wife."

"Husband."

Yami grunted before he kissed her again. This kiss, however, was far less chaste than the kiss on the dais. The kiss was filled with promise and commitment, a taste of things to come. Charlotte held tightly to him, allowing herself to melt against him and relish in the path, the life, they would now build together.


End file.
